Vi Stands For Caitlyn
by KrazackLear
Summary: Vi's new life is great. She's finally putting her talents to good use, and working with Caitlyn, she never wishes for anything. But when Jinx comes back, neither can forgive - or forget. Only one can win this clash of wills and achieve their greatest desire; the other's surrender. Linked with 'All The Time I Have Left' and 'A Road Paved With The Best Intentions.'
1. Vi stands for Vintage

AN:

Hello, to whoever navigated your way here. This is my first upload of anything to anywhere, and I'm a little scared, frankly. Don't hesitate to PM me or review or anything; feedback and criticism is the lifeblood of writers.

Also I feel this is important; this story links with my other two, which are orientated around Jinx and Ekko; without reading all three, you will miss a lot, but I've split them up nonetheless so you can get only a certain set of characters if you want.

Without a further ado...

* * *

When Vi was young, she had lived. Well, lived more than she was now; at least, the way she told it. When Vi was young, she really lived very little. At just ten, between scavenging and hiding from gangs looking to extort and recruit, Vi had almost no free time. The little she had went into personal hobbies; mainly punching things and tinkering with any Hextech she could find. The former came in handy countless times over her life, the latter when she was twelve. Vi was in trouble; she'd stayed one too many minutes in the same place. There was an underground fighting ring in the basement of a pub, and the owner gave Vi a place to live and two square meals a day; all she had to do was beat up any chump who wanted to take her on. The owner pocketed a healthy profit from the bets, and both were content to keep working together. Unfortunately, one member of a gang of street toughs took offense to Vi's ability to kick the crap out of him, and he had a lot of friends. She was backed into a corner, with no weapons. She wished her sister was here to back her up. Grimly, she took a fighting stance, and as soon as they started to circle her, she lunged at the closest. One of the earliest things she had learnt was to always, always, go on the offense. After all, it was the best form of defence. Probably.

To his credit, her target at least managed to yelp before the fist broke his jaw with a thundering haymaker. After that, she dived for a narrow gap between two others, shouldering one and tripping the other with a sweep of her leg. Coming up from the sweep, she ducked under a swing and returned the favour; three down.

Just as she was really starting to get stuck in, a yell rang out:

"Leave her!" Vi threw her latest opponent, a skinny young girl with a shard of metal as an ersatz knife, into the wall. The rest backed off, and before Vi realized they had her surrounded. She panted, knuckles bleeding, and turned to face the speaker. They were old; at least, by a ten year old girl's standards.

"Hello there, little girl. Glad to meet you." Vi glared, biding her time.

"You see, I'm very interested in a girl who can, single-handed, take out at least a half-dozen members of my gang. And with only her fists! Truly, a sight to behold." From behind, a boy charged Vi, yelling. With barely a pause, she twisted and kicked him in the back, letting him stumble and fall to the feet of the gang leader. He raised one foot and slowly pressed down on the boy's head, and then Vi realized it was the prick she had beaten in the ring.

"And another. I'll have to start keeping score at this rate… Though, actually, I'd rather that instead of you knocking out my other underlings, we come to… An agreement. You see, you have attracted an awful lot of attention. And not all of it is from me. Many others have their eye on you, a young, promising brawler, who will no doubt grow up to be something... Spectacular." Vi lowered her fists, rolling her shoulders with a series of pops. Examining the bruised flesh of her hands she eyed him, and the rest of them. They looked well fed. Clothes which were mostly intact. Only a couple had injuries, and that was probably from herself. She turned her gaze back to the leader, and he smiled. Vi whistled a little tune of her own devising, and the leader's smile slowly disappeared. Vi walked up to him, and replaced his foot on the chump's head with her own, though unlike him she pressed down until his screams drowned out her tune. After a few seconds, her foot rose. And, staring the boss in the eyes, she slowly, _slowly_ , nodded. Even if she never went on the defensive, that didn't mean the offensive was a good choice.

Skip forwards a year. The stuff that happened in it was boring, anyway.

Vi lounged on her hammock. She'd gone through over a dozen, but this one was definitely the best. It was a light purple, and was juuuust long enough for her. That would probably change, but for now… Bliss. Swinging gently, she almost managed to drown out the sound of the buzzer that she'd installed as a doorbell. Almost.

"Vi! Vi, get out here. It's time for the briefing." She sighed, rubbing her sore eyes. After a few seconds, she jumped out and cracked her neck, pocketed an object the size of her fist, and walked to the door. It rung again as she opened it, and didn't stop even as she stared the perpetrator in the eyes. After a few seconds, they both grinned at each other, though Vi was significantly shorter.

"Good to see you, Shin. How's everyone?"

"Meh. Top is stressing out about the heist, Rane is making fun of him, and personally I- awh fuck it. We're all just waiting to see what you have that'll crack that vault. Now come on, we're waiting." And suiting actions to words, he turned heel and Vi jogged to catch up, and to keep up, since her legs were a lot shorter than his. When they came to the common room, the other two dozen members were waiting. She knew them all by name, and by skill. This gang was small because it didn't rely on extortion and racketing like others; they didn't need sheer numbers to control their territory. They worked with lots of irregular, and highly lucrative, jobs.

Like this one.

It was daring. It was… Frankly, likely to backfire. There was a lot of things that could fuck up, but let her be damned if Vi was going to back down from anything because it was risky. Of course, the worst part was that a lot of the risky shit was resting on her shoulders, mainly the device she clutched in one small hand.

"Alright everyone, Vi is here, so let's get this show on the road. Gather round, and we'll go over the plan one more time." The group stepped up and clustered around the large square table in the centre of the room, not unlike drones gathering around a queen. Top gestured to a crude representation of a building, made of matchsticks, complete with panicking civilians, courtesy of Vi. The next hour was spent making sure everyone completely and totally understood everything that was going to, could, and just maybe possibly might happen – and go wrong. But there was a point where everyone was staring at the little circle representing the vault, and then slowly shifted their gaze to the youngest of their members who was slowly tearing apart a stickman. Top coughed and Vi jumped, sending the hapless matchstick person over her shoulder to shatter on the floor into tiny, pitiful shards. The same thing happened to the construction on the table when Vi rolled the contraption in her hand across it, thoroughly destroying several hours of hard work. Since it was hers, Vi didn't think it counted. It came to a stop at the entrance to the vault, and then started beeping. Vi grinned, and everyone knew what that meant. Everyone dived under cover, all apart from Vi, who laughed and grabbed a platter, holding it up in front of her face as the shaped charge detonated and entirely obliterated the sad remnants of the building, along with the table and a small part of the ceiling. In the ensuing silence, Vi could only barely hear the sound of laughter over the ringing in her ears.

Skip forward another four years. Some interesting stuff happened in there, but a lot of it involves explosives and money and… Stuff Vi can't remember. Maybe drinking… Yeah, probably drinking.

This part of town was a little weird; in the entire sector, there was only a single alleyway. The rest of them had been boarded up, though many were covered in scorch marks where they had been demolished, hastily, and with lots of gunpowder, before being rebuilt. In that single alleyway, there was two doors. One led to a large room, equally covered in scorch marks, which further split into a few dozen rooms, each with one or two inhabitants. The other door, however, led to a rather small room, barely fit for one person; however, once your eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, it became apparent that the room was significantly larger than it seemed, but was simply filled to the brim, and more some, with utter junk. Pieces and scraps and chunks and bits and fragments of… Well, basically whatever crap Vi got her hands on. Some of it was useful, Hextech, and most of this was fashioned into little devices. Self-winding clockwork robots, flying machines that couriered objects, and some forgotten explosives, of which over time only a couple had prematurely detonated. Vi was proud of that, though Top had told her that any was too many. Vi had shrugged, and hid her grin. Either way, the girl in question was grabbing everything vital. That top she likes, one grenade she could find, and her pink tutu. It fit nicely with the top, almost making it into a dress, whilst still being able to wear trousers for practicality.

After making sure everything fit nicely, Vi left her apartment, wrapping her fists in tape as she walked across the alley. Upon knocking on the door, it opened, before she entered. There were too many people for her to really know whether everyone was here; Shin was, Rane was, and Top was, and that was all that really mattered to her. The rest were new faces, either because their new members were starting to outnumber the old, and that the Factorywood Fiends were also all present. The plan was easy, they were going to hit the most lucrative mine in the entirety of Piltover and Zaun. Unfortunately, that meant it was highly sought after; and highly protected, not to mention that the men there were soldiers, not bored, lazy guards. Zaun could attack at any moment, and the mine was well defended to stop them. This extended to attacks by gangsters punching above their weigh, which is where Vi came in. She'd examined the layout of the mine, and found out that several of the walls that led straight to the railroad which carried the gems and other minerals to the surface; and those walls were thin. At least, thin enough to get smashed into rubble with the correct mode of… Persuasion.

"Alright, so let's go over it one more time…"

Skip forward a few hours. In this case, the most exciting thing happening was lunch.

The lot of them gathered around a small crevice in the sheer cliff face. It was small, but big enough for their needs, and the main caveat being it was unguarded, they all slipped in, one by one. At the end was a small cavern, and they wasted no time in getting Vi to plant her… Persuasion. One incredibly agreeable conversation later, the wall was gone, and the moved through the hole onto the next, which, faced with Vi, shared many of its predecessor's views on suddenly exploding. The third and last was even less of an issue; it seemed the instability caused by the other walls disappearing had led to it crumbling. They slipped through, and the wealth on display in those carts was practically blinding. Many of them stared in awe for a moment, before the bubble broke and they rushed forwards in a mob, yelling and grabbing everything that would fit in their packs and pockets. This goldlust lasted for a few minutes before their exultation was met with the miners inside rushing forward to protect it, poor brave fools. The gang members split into two groups, one gathering the fortune, the other protecting them; and they were far better equipped. The miners had picks and rocks, the thugs knives and pistols. They stood no chance, and that was when someone thought it would be an amazing idea to break the 'off' switch on a Chem mining golem, and aim it at the fancy, suspended house the owner of the mine lived in. It tore through the house, then the wall behind it. The ensuing gore and chaos was… Brilliant, and horrifying. Vi looked on, unsure how to react. The miners fled in terror, many of their number lying dismembered and dying. Vi's ears rung, though not from the sheer annihilation. Screams echoed through the cavern, and the pack in her hands slipped from slack fingers. Blood raced through her head, pumping… And when she opened her eyes, her gang was fleeing. Rock fell from the ceiling in chunks, and she could hear Shin yelling for her to leave. She turned to the exit, but the miner's panicked yells suddenly clarified in her mind.

"Go! Get out! The tunnel is collapsing!"

"We can't! The way out has already caved-in!" Vi turned, and she could see the miners trying desperately to break through a wall of stone and earth blocking the railroad's path. Her gang had already left, and Shin was still in the entrance, waving and yelling. The earth above him started to shift, groaning, and Shin dived through the way out, narrowly avoiding being squashed. There was still a gap. More and more rock shed off the ceiling in increasing quantities. She turned her back on Shin and the rest of them, facing towards the miners. They paid her no attention; focusing on clearing the blockage. She, and they, could already tell that it wouldn't work. The roof was collapsing far too fast, but that didn't stop them. Vi scanned the room. She needed something powerful. The mining golem would work great, and she didn't have any better ideas. So she started scampering about, trying her best to ignore the pieces of miner spread about. After a minute, she found it, mostly crushed by the rockfall. The main body, the part the driver would operate from, was completely destroyed. She turned her back to the ruined machine, yelling in frustration, and in her head an idea exploded into being. Rushing from the room, she dashed to the nearest miner, who was kneeling in front of the collapse, digging with his hands. She grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking it to get his attention. He turned to her, and the panic in his eyes turned to anger.

"You! You were one of those thieves who doomed us all! What do you want, you little rat?!"

"Shut up. I need a 5.5 star Hexwrench. It's the only way out of here. Where can I get one?" He frowned at her, but frankly him being angry wasn't going to get them out, so, turning back to his digging, he nodded in the direction of a small building, fashioned from stone.

"Workshop. If it isn't there, it isn't anywhere." Without an answer, Vi turned and ran like Hecarim was on her tail. Crashing through the door, she startled a man cowering under a metal table. Staring for a second, she ignored the craven miner and jumped towards the nearest tool chest, throwing open the drawers and pouring the tools onto the floor. It took several drawers, chests and lockers to find the one she needed; it was a pretty special tool. Dashing back out and finding the wrecked digger, Vi set to work dismantling the two whole pieces from the rest; the massive, Chemtech gauntlets mounted to the front, made to shake and dislodge solid rock even more effectively than explosives. And Vi knew her explosives.

When the little girl stepped up to the men gathered at the collapse, the foreman thought he'd gone mad. Pink haired, with a tutu the same colour, she had apparently torn the fists off one of those mining rigs and… A flood of hope poured through him, and with a grin he grabbed his whistle and got the men to clear out. They obeyed, just as he'd trained them to, and the girl nodded to him as she walked by, raising one fist, almost the size of her entire body, back over her head. The fist hissed and shook as the pressure built up behind the pneumatic piston built into the metallic knuckles of the destructive technology, glowing a sickly green as it heated, tanks bubbling and pumping, and she threw her fist down with a total lack of finesses and grace, every miner covering their eyes as-

Blinding, deafening annihilation erupted in a wave of excessive force.

The boulders shattered into pebbles, loose earth spilling from packed solid to a tide of dirt that flew outward.

The flash flood of debris spilled out and over the floor, a few miners scrabbling out of the way.

And then, after a second of stunned silence, they poured forth in a writhing sea of humanity.

When everyone had escaped, Vi rolled her shoulders to relieve the ache from continually hefting the gauntlets, before trudging off in the direction of Piltover, far in the distance. The gauntlets clamping onto her wrists would soon start to become unbearable, but for now, she would deal. It would be a long walk, but Vi was nothing if not stubborn. However, before she could get even a dozen metres, a voice rang out above the general chaos of emergency services and exultant families:

"You there, the little rascal with the pink hair! Stop, in the name of the law!" By the time Vi had heard the word "stop" she was already sprinting, sparing only to glance back to see a young woman, dressed in a fairly scandalous purple dress, sporting a large top hat and raising a rifle to her shoulder, looking down the sight so she could-

Vi dropped to the ground as the shot flew over her, jumping back to her feet and getting round a corner to break line of sight, home free.

* * *

It took three hours for Vi to get back home. The rest of the gang was waiting for her. They admonished her for risking her life for the trapped fools, but that was quickly overridden by their amazement at her gauntlets. Her arms were almost pulled from her sockets at this point, but she still grabbed her fair share of the loot and in minutes had packed a bag full of the essentials; tools, scraps, one little machine she'd always had, a few sets of clothes, and, hoisting her gauntlets onto her arms, she walked to her door. By the light switch, a small lever awaited, and she'd only almost pulled it once. It was a good thing she didn't, though in this case she did it all on purpose, turning off the lights to conserve energy and leaving, one step at a time, towards the inner city. She didn't look back when her room collapsed through the floor, the foundations suddenly missing entirely, years of work buried under debris. The two were practically indistinguishable before, and now they were just one miserable pile of scrap.

Skip seven years. I know, that's a lot, but past the first few gunshot wounds, broken limbs and crumpled street toughs, it gets pretty repetitive. Basically Vi spends this time tinkering with her gauntlets and other shit, beating the crap out of criminals, taking their stuff, and then using it to beat up other criminals, taking their stuff, in a never ending cycle of punching, scavenging, and evading police units. Which, speaking of, had risen massively in effectiveness and number; a new innovative policing system had come into play, the Sherrifs. An elite corps of detectives and investigators, skilled in combat, interrogation, and mostly loyal to the Wardens, not the Houses.. Whenever she heard the name, it inspired both awe, fear, and hatred. There was a few, the most promising, that operated mostly in Zaun, to take the offensive against the criminal element of the Chembarons that ruled there. Vi was pretty sure that these Sheriffs were the only ones that offered a real threat to her, but she respected and, to an extent, admired them. They took her most idolised tenet of 'aggro' to heart, and besides, they were the only ones to have ever come close to stopping what she liked doing best; punching people. And objects.

Yeah, anyway, back to seven years of pink punk pugilation. Vi was living it big; at least, as big as she'd ever had it. A real house, a girlfriend – and/or boyfriend, sometimes at the same time - or ten over time, and enough money to buy whatever she needed, including the parts for a few specialist pieces of gear. Most of it was to do with punching stuff… In fact apart from the hexplosives, it was all punching stuff. New reinforced boots, upgrades to the gauntlets, which she'd gotten pretty attached to, and a nifty piece of handmade armour… She wasn't sure if the fact that a tuft of her tutu stuck out a small gap was intended, but Vi thought it worked for her. She had turned a new leaf; now, the only people who she beat up and stole from were other lowlifes, and she imagined that was the only reason why she wasn't in prison; after all, she was reducing the work the police had to do. Either way, she had avoided being locked up, though it had been close several times, and was now living life properly.

That changed when she got cornered like an idiot in an old warehouse.

She'd busted in on a pair of the Chembaron's henchmen in a deal, and with only a few minutes of carefully applied total destruction, they were lying in heaps, along with their product. She laughed at them as they groaned, most sporting broken limbs, a few crying pitifully. She enjoyed the scenario for a minute or two, grabbing whatever cash, guns, and useful tools she could find, and then a booming voice, one now very familiar to the pinkette, rang out through the hole in wall where the door used to be:

"Alright, girl, this is your only chance. Come out with your massive hands up, and we won't hurt you! I just want to talk!" Vi snorted, hefting her gauntlets as they vibrated, glowing cherry red. Talking was for chumps. And people who couldn't bust down walls with their almost-bare fists. Sometimes she just knocked down the supports, burying everything inside, but in this case there were people here too, so she couldn't… Well, shouldn't do that. Luckily the police were just outside; they'd deal with all this stuff. She walked up to the furthest wall from the entrance and delivered it one sharp punch; the whole thing collapsing instantly. Chuckling as dust flowed outwards, the laugh slowed and died painfully as she regarded the blockade of cars and, more importantly, guns, facing her. Steam flowed from her fist as it cooled, the Hextech jewel in the centre buzzing as it charged. Luckily she had the other, though… That was a LOT of guns. And in the middle, kneeling right on top of a riot response van was that posh prissy bitch; Caitlyn. She sighed. They must have recorded her voice to play, and set up this ambush. She stepped backwards slowly, but the sound of booted feet and radio chatter meant she didn't even bother turning around as they surrounded her. She thought of a similar time, long ago, and how she'd talked to their leader, joining them.

"Alright, then, girl. Now, drop those gauntlets. I'm taking you to the station. We're going to talk." Caitlyn dropped from the van, gently stepping towards her, rifle pointed at the floor. Vi glanced around; the police were hyper-tense, ready to turn her into a pincushion at a moment's notice. Vi shrugged, and, staring the chief in the eyes, she slowly, _slowly_ , nodded.

* * *

Vi was surprised. They didn't even cuff her. She was highly suspicious; after all, spending your entire life on the streets wasn't conducive for a healthy mental state. The drive back to the station – located waaay out of Vi's territory, so completely unknown to her – was… Awkward. She was in the back, next to another officer, Caitlyn in the passenger seat as a third fuzz drove the vehicle. Every few moments, Vi would glance around her, and the officer next to her would pretend not to notice and tense. Vi couldn't help but notice that despite that she didn't have any cuffs on, the doors were locked. She smirked, and decided the idea of spending the next ten minutes in silence as they drove to their destination was drowning in boredom. So she kicked her feet up and put them on the back of Caitlyn's seat, legs crossed, ignoring the way the officer next to her flinched and reached for their stun-club. A tense silence followed, broken by Vi groaning as blood flowed back into her legs as she leant back with a sigh, the pleasant aching setting in, closing her eyes to relax. She could feel Caitlyn staring at her, and after a few more seconds:

"Just what are you doing, girl?" Vi opened one eye, grinning lazily, though it irked her inside to be called "girl."

"Making myself comfy. May as well. Problem?" Vi found it hard to keep up her smile under Caitlyn's intimidatingly steely glare, but it was when the Sherriff smiled that Vi felt a chill go up her spine.

"Of course not, girl. I was just wondering about something." Vi twitched when she called her a girl again, but it was overcome by her sudden burning curiosity about what the hatted woman was wondering about. The two locked into a staring contest, but far more was at stake; a battle of wills was waged. The war would have lasted for centuries, many lives having been snuffed out, but at that point the car rolled to a stop.

Caitlyn opened the door to her office, resting her rifle against the wall, taking off her hat and resting it on her desk as she sat down. At the entrance to the room, Vi stood, an officer holding one arm to make sure she didn't bolt. Caitlyn raised a perfectly exact eyebrow, and gestured for Vi to take the seat opposite hers. The policeman relinquished his grip, and Vi took a single step into the room, the door closing behind her. She stared at Caitlyn liked she'd grown a third arm.

"Why am I not in prison?" That damned eyebrow again. It looked so… Condescending.

"Do you want to be in prison, girl?" Vi bristled at the aggravating name.

"No. And stop calling me girl." Caitlyn smiled, reaching into her desk to retrieve a small platter. A tea cup and saucer, along with a… Cupcake?

"Well, as much as I'd like to, I don't know your name. Girl." This time, Vi growled. Some part of her knew the refined woman was baiting her, but another part, namely the rest of her, didn't care on little tiny itty bit.

"Yeah, Cupcake? Well, first off, my name is Vi. Second off, I don't why you've got me here and, frankly, I don't care what you have to say. I was doing just fine on my own!" Caitlyn slowly raised the cup of tea to her lips, sipping quietly. Vi realized she had stepped forward, leaning forward over the desk with her fists supporting her, subconsciously trying to intimidate the small woman. Vi, with an obvious conscious effort, sat down, glaring. She couldn't see Caitlyn's smile behind the cup, but she could feel it, and a rouge rose in her cheeks.

"Thank you for telling me your name. Now, Vi, if that is your name, I brought you here for a reason, and whether you want to know it or not, I'm going to tell you." The cup of tea finished, Caitlyn put it down into the saucer with a clink. Once more, she reached into the desk, pulling out a dossier on the pinkette. She threw it onto the desk, a few pieces of paper sliding out. Vi jumped forwards, restraining herself at the last second. She knew what it was.

"Now, I've been watching you for quite some time. You are a… Very interesting young woman, Vi. Targeting criminals only, not to mention your… Unique… Weapons of choice. I must say, I've been looking forward to this for some time." Vi, in a visible effort to regain control and try to relax, put her booted feet up onto the desk, smirking.

"Yeah, well, thanks for thinking I'm cool. I think so too. So, what's in the folder?" She picked up the first thing she could; a blurry picture of Vi holding a street boss by the neck, gauntlets steaming, and chuckled. She remembered the chump.

"Mostly, it's any intel I could get, which, by the way, isn't a lot. Routines, popular places… People of interest, such as this lovely young woman." Caitlyn, without looking, reached into the folder and effortlessly withdrew one picture that made Vi blush. It was of her and her first girlfriend as they kissed in an alley outside a bar. She looked at Caitlyn, expecting… Something. Disgust, disapproval, maybe hatred. She found warmth in Caitlyn's eyes, and strangely, that was somewhat scarier. The Sherriff's smile put her both on edge and at ease. To hide this, she grabbed one file at random. It was her second partner, an augmented-beyond-belief ganger that had used his Chemtech to hide compassion and a kind heart. He'd been raising orphans… And was amazing in the sack.

"Yes, well, none of it was particularly helpful. You showed up out of nowhere, started beating up the most dangerous of gang members, evading every attempt to arrest you. And that leads to my reason." Vi tried not to show how curious she was, and not just in the reason for her "arrest," but in what that smile meant and how she hadn't noticed all this stalking.

"I'm offering you another shot at life, Vi. Join me. Become my deputy. You won't have to live every day in danger, fight for your life every minute. You'll be able to do good. With you, no criminal in this city will be safe." Vi took a moment before grinning. She realized what a good deal it was… She got to beat up anyone she wanted, and she had immunity! She could tinker without having to look over her shoulder… And frankly, working with Caitlyn wasn't exactly unappealing. She was pretty hot. And cool.

Vi shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Sounds good." Caitlyn smiled that little, enigmatic smile, gathering the dossier and putting it away again.

"Glad to hear it. Now, girl…" Caitlyn leaned forwards, hands clasped in front of her, the smile disappearing.

"Get your feet off of my desk."


	2. Vi stands for Vice

AN:

The first real fight, and the budding of a verdant relationship.

* * *

Vi spent the next five hours trying her best to pay attention to Caitlyn as she received the premium tour of the station. In the beginning, Vi was mostly in awe. They had a lot of fancy shit in here, and she wouldn't mind the opportunity to dismantle it and see what made it tick. That only lasted the first two hours. The next was the tour of the offices, and visiting all the boring desk people. Vi shuddered when someone suggested she join them for a day, to see what it was like. It seemed Caitlyn agreed.

"A good idea, Marian, but unfortunately Vi's talents lay in the more… Physical aspect of police work." Vi gave her a grateful smile, which Caitlyn replied with by continuing the so very interesting tour that Vi totally was having fun in, ooh boy. The fourth hour consisted of visiting the barracks and armoury. That was fun, meeting the resident badasses, knocking them down a peg, and looking at all the newest cutting-edge tech in weaponry… Vi slipped a small pistol into a pocket in her armour when she thought no one was looking, planning to study it later. No one would miss it, surely? After that tour Caitlyn took Vi to the newest installment of the police HQ; the garage, and all the new vehicles. APCs, experimental flying-and-burrowing pods, pursuit cars, they had one of everything, and damn, Vi wished she could slip one of the armored-troop-van-tank-things into her pocket. The tour terminated with the vehicle all the way at the end, which was confusing. Vi recognized it, for it was a new model of Hextech-driven carriage that she'd had her eye on for when she stumbled across a bag of cash that fell out the back of a van. She was even more surprised when Caitlyn pulled the key out of her pocket and blipped the vehicle open. So surprised that her jaw fell open.

"Cupcake… Man, you own this?! Sweet! I've always wanted one. Tell me, does it really handle as well as it looks like it does?" Caitlyn turned and gave her a calculating look, and after a few seconds during which Vi was vibrating in anticipation, she opened the boot and stored her rifle away before holding out her hand.

"That pistol you took from the armoury. Hand it over." Vi was devastated by the sudden change of tack. Glumly, she fished it from her pocket, almost comically small in her massive gauntlets, and handed it over. Caitlyn smiled in appreciation.

"Thank you. At least you can follow basic orders. Now, in the car." Vi bristled at the 'obedient little lapdog' comment.

"Woah, Cupcake. Who says you get to boss me around?" Caitlyn gave her a look that said 'Duh, I'm your boss' and didn't reply otherwise, instead climbing into the driver's seat. With a lack of alternatives, Vi grumbled her way into the passenger seat, where Caitlyn gave her a sideways glance as the car purred to life.

"Are you going to wear those massive things in here? You can barely fit." Vi chuckled.

"I think I quite like barely fitting into you…" Caitlyn blushed, hard, and gave her a shocked look.

"…'re car. And either way, my gauntlets aren't going anywhere." Caitlyn was still starting at her, mouth slightly agape. Vi slowly frowned at her, feet planted on the dashboard, one hand cushioning her head as the seat fell back to a much shallower angle.

"Yo Cupcake, what got your panties in a twist?"

"I… No one has ever said something like that to me. I always scare them too much." Vi recoiled in shock.

"Whaaaaat? Man, you are, like, _the_ hottest chick I've ever seen! And your outfit… Mmm. Yeah, you're scary, but that's a good thing, and if I thought I could I wouldn't wait to peel you out of that flimsy thing and throw you over-"

"Vi! Stop! This is… Entirely inappropriate. All this… Flirting shouldn't be part of a professional relationship. And we've only just met!" The garage door in front of them opened as Caitlyn rolled the car forward.

"Well, yeah, but if nothing else that blush you got there is adorable, and now I know it exists I'm not going to miss an opportunity to see it again." The sentence was un-customarily soft, as was the smile Vi wore. Caitlyn turned to look at her as they stopped just outside of the garage, and gave Vi a stern look, completely ruined by the blush colouring her cheeks.

"Well… As long as you don't do it in front of my officers… I suppose I can live with it. But if you embarrass me, in my city, you won't be able to run. Understand? And get your feet off my dash." Vi's lazy grin pasted onto her face.

"Crystal, Cupcake. No flirting in front of the kids. Got it." Caitlyn scowled. Vi ignored the other command.

"And stop calling me Cupcake. Where did you even get that name from?" Vi just laughed, reclining fully in her seat. Caitlyn drove Vi back to the outskirts of Piltover so she could walk through the lawless slums of Zaun back to her house, telling her to be back at the spot the next day at 7am tomorrow. Vi blanched at the early time, but nodded. She couldn't fuck up this opportunity, and if it meant an early night, so be it. She walked home, only one person tried to mug her, and had an uneventful night of sleep.

The next day Caitlyn finished the tour, introducing her properly to everyone at the station, something called "laws" and teaching her basic procedure in several situations, mostly the ones involving violence. Vi tried her best to pay attention, but it wasn't her fault they were so damn boring and she thought this job would include more punching shit and less sitting about in a police car, "examining crime scenes" as Caitlyn put it. So boring, in fact, that over the next week as they did the same thing over and over and over Vi started suffering from withdrawal, seriously considering throwing this police thing out the window so she could bust just one punk but… But then, on the final day's torturous drive back to the station, like a brilliant god in the machine, the radio barked to life with chatter that Vi didn't understand a word of. Luckily Caitlyn did, pulling over and grabbing the handset, listening intently, giving just one response:

"On my way."

* * *

After maybe ten minutes of the most boring, slow driving Vi had ever seen Caitlyn stopped the car, just outside a cordon of holographic police tape. Vi climbed out quickly, flexing her gauntlets. A small collection of police officers held back a crowd of people, and at that point Vi saw the building behind the cordon was a bank, and with a shot of adrenaline realized that they were there to stop a robbery. She grinned, pulling her pink hair back out of her face and turning to Caitlyn as she pulled Peacemaker from the trunk.

"Alright, Vi, this is your first big assignment. The negotiator is already talking to the hostage takers, stalling for time. Heimerdinger finally deigned to deliver the schematics for the building, so here's the plan." Caitlyn waved over a man dressed in what at first glance appeared to be standard finery; gold, furred robes, but to Vi's trained eye was woven with all sorts of armour plates. The man came forward, hefting a weapon almost as cool as Vi's. She recognized him, practically a celebrity due to his inventions and daring deeds; Jayce.

"You took a long time arriving, Sherriff." His eyes glanced at Vi and quickly dismissed her. "And I see you have a new deputy. Though… With some less than standard gear." Sliding over, he gave Vi a curt nod and then knelt down to examine her handiwork. "Hmph. Shoddy. Here, see, the crystal could-" Caitlyn quickly intervenes, grabbing the man and pulling him backward. Vi's glare could melt walls, if she hadn't already smashed them down.

It turned out he was far less charismatic than the propaganda had made him appear.

"Vi. My newest Deputy. She's going to help us bust these troublemakers. Jayce-" Vi pulled her hand back, Jayce crossing his behind his back as he rubbed them absently, Mercury Hammer resting on the floor, snapped to attention.

"- you're going to lead the response team through the front, distract them. They're holed up in an office so you won't actually meet resistance, but at the same time Vi and myself shall enter through the back entrance, ambush them, and free the hostages. Questions?" Jayce starts to nod, then frowns, replying:

"Caitlyn that sounds a good plan, but there is a problem… There isn't any other entrance but the main one," punctuating his point by gesturing to the double doors at the front of the bank. Caitlyn slyly glances at Vi, and she caught the message. But rather than explain, she just grinned.

"Well pretty boy, you'll have to just wait and see. Trust the girls to handle it, yeah?" Caitlyn seemed a little shocked, but hid a giggle behind one hand. Jayce, put off by the suddenly confrontational tone and Caitlyn's reaction, simply strode away, barking orders to the waiting Wardens. Vi snorted, gesturing to his fleeing back:

"What the hell is his shit about? Totally overrated. My fists are way cooler than his fancy, stupid hammer cannon thing. And what's with the clothes? What a stuck up pri-"

"Alright Vi, that's quite enough. Yes, Jayce can be a little… Aggravating, sometimes, but he is a valued member of this police force, and this city, and I expect you to treat him as such. Now, follow me." Vi grumbled, but complied, mentally checking her equipment automatically as they walked around the side of the building and into an alley, the noise of the crowd suddenly dropping off.

"So, Cupcake, what's the plan? How many are there? You gonna come through or just stay out here, picking em' off as you can?" Caitlyn turned to Vi, surprised with the amount of forethought, before Vi ruined the effect by laughing.

"Man, you almost believed that I gave a shit. Nah, they'll never stand up to the pneumatic pinkette pugilator; moi!" Vi punctuated the sentence by ramming her gauntlets together, activating the kinetic start-up motor and kicking the internal generator into motion, already charging the driving pistons built into the wrecking weapons. Caitlyn rolled her eyes at her dramatization.

"Actually, deputy, your official title as an officer is my Enforcer." Vi grinned, and then a sly look entered her eyes.

"I like the idea of being an enforcer almost as much as the idea of being _yours_ , Cupcake." It took a moment for Caitlyn to realize what the meaning of her words was, and when she did a blush exploded over her cheeks, glancing around to make sure no one heard. Luckily there was no reason for officers to be here; the alley was solely occupied by garbage bins. Vi just laughed, leaning back against the wall.

* * *

Ricky "Gunboat" Willer was _not_ having a good day.

His last job had fallen through; the mad bastard in Zaun had ran on them, taking the fucking whatever-the-hell-that-thing-was and scampering without paying. He and his men had done it perfectly, not even fired a single shot, and the robotic ass had taken it, thrown a gadget that had locked them to the floor, and pissed off. God. But then, like a miracle, another client had come to the mercenary company, offering way too much cash for an incredibly normal job; a bank heist. At first he'd been suspicious, especially after just being double crossed. But after just five minutes of the man explaining his plan, it was clear that he was zealous about it, which was strange considering it was just a bank heist, and not an exactly prestigious one. But his men were smarting about losing their pay, and he couldn't pass it down, so he agreed. The first part of the plan had gone without a hitch; storm in, crack the vault, start loading the money. But after just two minutes what seemed like the entire police force was outside, yelling through a megaphone; never had he seen such a rapid response, and never in such force. But then, Richard had never been to Piltover, and never been directly opposed by a Sherriff himself.

When the wall had exploded inwards without warning, Richard had jumped out of his skin. His men had dropped their bags of loot and turned, bewildered, but barely got a dozen shots in before the rampaging monster was upon them, fists swinging. Richard had, tactfully, decided to stay out of the way; he could tell his men were going down and he wasn't keen to join them. Grabbing a bag of bills he'd started towards the hole in the wall when a slim figure had stepped through. He recognized her only from third-hand accounts - the hat and massive tits were the prime identifier - and grinned, letting the bag drop silently. He was parallel to the wall, and she hadn't noticed him yet as he swept up behind her and drew his combat knife, a serrated terror which was practically a machete. She'd gasped in a satisfying way as he'd placed it against her throat, and whispered into her ear:

"Call off your wrecking ball, bitch, or you'll get it. And no sudden moves, got it?" He could feel her anger, but that didn't stop her from calling out.

* * *

As Vi's laughter fell away, a harsh voice barked over a radio that Caitlyn had built into her hat's Hextech array:

"Breach!" Caitlyn nodded to the wall, and Vi kicked off the opposite side of the alley, ramming one fist into the concrete, the resultant pent-up force exploding outwards, sending chunks of debris flying, the sound glorious in Vi's ears. She dashed inside, activating fans in her suit to blow away the dust to clear her sight; the view was magnificent. A small group of hostages were huddled in the corner, but the mercenaries were spread out, conveniently all their cover facing towards the old boring door. Caitlyn would have fun, but now was Vi's time. The first man took a second, one fist sending him flying through a window with a crash, the next even less as she ran by, clothslining him to the floor on her way to the third, and then she lost track , was just getting stuck in, when she heard Caitlyn call out to her:

"Vi! Stop." She turned, and her blood boiled as she saw her in danger. She didn't know why, really, but something inside her was completely outraged at how he'd dare lay a hand on _her_ Caitlyn. She lifted one hand and pointed at the man, shouting:

"Put her the FUCK down, asshole, or a broken bone or two won't be your only worry!" The man chuckled, and his squad surrounded her, leaving a gap probably a little bigger than protocol demanded, pointing their rifles at her. She barely noticed, lowering her fist and twisting her feet into the floor to gain traction, stalling for time as the jets in her gauntlets charged.

"You think you're some big shot fucking soldier, don't you, jumping the defenceless-"

"I am not defenceless, thank you, Vi."

"Shut up, bit-" and then Vi launched herself forwards, the man caught off-balance as his attention was split, grabbing Caitlyn from his arms with one hand and using the other to deliver a jaw-breaking uppercut, sending him flying into the ceiling before hugging Caitlyn to her and activating her last ditch defence. A network of blue hexagons surrounded Vi, barely covering Caitlyn as well as the men started unloading into Vi's back. She adjusted the blast shield so that it thinned, the bullets feeling like a dull ache as they impacted her armour at a severely lowered velocity, before she started stepping towards the exit.

"Close one, eh, boss?" Caitlyn spluttered, surprised they weren't dead, and yelled back over the sound of gunfire:

"JUST GET US OUT OF HERE!" Vi chuckled, wincing as a bullet slipped through the shield and stuck into her calf, falling to the floor and quickly hoisting them both back up as the shield started to fail. She threw Caitlyn through the exit just as it fell, jumping through after her as several bullets slammed into her. She landed with a scream as the pain exploded again, Caitlyn quickly jumping to her feet and talking into her com unit. Vi didn't hear a word, the agony ringing in her ears as she tried to struggle to her feet. After what felt like an hour a blurry face appeared above hers, hands pushing on her shoulders. As they spoke her vision cleared, but the words didn't. Vi reached up with one hand and pushed Caitlyn off her, sitting up against the wall. Caitlyn stood with her hands on her hips, frowning, but didn't take further action. Vi waved to her, grinning gently.

"Totally fine, Cupcake. Minus the bullet wounds… Are you hurt?" Caitlyn's frown wavered and broke, putting one hand under Vi's shoulder and lifting her, Vi stifling her scream as the bullets jarred inside her. Further gunshots rang out inside, and she could hear Jayce's muffled yelling. Caitlyn dragged her back around the corner towards the cordon, and paramedics ran over to retrieve her. Caitlyn went with them to the ambulance where they administered an alarming amount of drugs. Vi protested weakly the entire time, and after an hour or two, a few choice curses, and a lot of extracting shards of metal from Vi's insides, they prescribed several days of bedrest and a clean bill of health, minus the bleeding. The mercenaries were all rounded up, easily taken out as they attempted to follow Vi through the wall. Jayce was surprisingly humble, and vanished quickly without so much as a goodbye. Vi was too injured to punch his stupid face. Caitlyn helped Vi to her car, the gauntlets already in the boot with her rifle, and sat her down on the hood. Vi grinned at her.

"A successful day at work I'd say, Cupcake. What's next?" Caitlyn stared at her for a moment, expression unreadable, and extended her hand.

"Thank you. Make no mistake, you saved my life. I was caught off guard, and-" Vi cut her off by grabbing her hand and pulling her forwards in a hug, wrapping the other around her. Caitlyn stiffens immediately, but Vi grips harder, and after a second or two Caitlyn hesitantly reciprocated.

"Don't mention it, boss. A couple bullet wounds is worth… You." Vi pull back an inch, hands still around Caitlyn. They stared at each other and both contemplated what had happened. They'd only known each other for a few days, and already they could both feel something for the other. Both were scared; Caitlyn had never felt the approach of a romantic partner - let alone another woman, which she had never really heard of - and Vi was scared of what she was feeling when she held this slim woman in her arms. All of her partners had been momentary distractions, something to relax with; but Caitlyn was… Different. She meant something to Vi, even if she didn't know what. She knew she was scared, and that was what drove her to lift up her head and press her lips against Caitlyn's in uncharacteristic softness.

Inside Caitlyn's head, the little people running her brain were screaming in panic, but she felt strangely serene. Vi's lips tasted sweaty, but… It felt right. She wouldn't have had her strong pinkette any other way. The flirting was confusing, but this… Blissful feeling was all she needed to allay her fears. At least some of them. The rate this… Relationship…? Was progressing was alarming to some part of her, but at the moment she pressed deeper into Vi's muscled torso, one hand tangling in her bright pink hair. Vi gasped into her mouth and she internally punched a celebratory fist into the air, just before the Enforcer growled and ripped her lips back from hers. She looked down at Caitlyn and started to talk.

"Are you OK with this, Cupcake? We've known each other for a week, and you said we-" But was pleasantly cut off as Caitlyn pressed forward again, capturing her lips in another kiss. After an eternity she pulled back for air, gasping, a blush having creeped up to her ears. Vi laughed at how cute she was, and Caitlyn disentangled herself, offended.

"Hmmph. I'll have you remember this is my first time doing… Any, of this, and-" in a chain of constant interruptions, Vi continued the trend, gently cupping one side of Caitlyn's face, breaking it after only a few seconds.

"It was perfect, Cupcake. A little work and you'll be the envy of the town." Caitlyn didn't want to let Vi see how pleased she was, but it was hard when the smile just crept across her face and she didn't know it was there until Vi grinned back and then she laughed too, exultant in her victory.

"Come on, girl. I'll take you home." Vi laughed even louder.

"Isn't that supposed to wait for the third date?" Caitlyn blushed, but this time, she smiled along with Vi.

* * *

A short time later, Caitlyn pulled up outside a house, and Vi remembered what the purpose of this drive was. She'd been too distracted with flirting, and the memory of that was almost enough to get her laughing again.

"Hey, why are we here? I have a crib. I just got it cleaned and everything." Caitlyn climbed out of the car and Vi followed suit as the Sherriff walked to the back of the car to retrieve her rifle.

"Because as much as I want to trust you implicitly, I also want to keep an eye on you. So you don't go getting yourself into mischief and ruining my name. Remember that the only reason you are here is me; if you mess up, it lands on my back." Vi grinned at the idea. Caitlyn pulled a key from her clothes, opened the door and flipped a light switch. It took Vi a few seconds to realize the full extent of what Caitlyn had meant.

"Wait, I'm gonna be living with you?" Caitlyn slotted her rifle into an umbrella stand, taking her hat off and putting it on top before closing the door behind Vi and wiping her feet.

"Of course. What else did you think? And that reminds me. Come into the kitchen." Caitlyn walked through a door, leaving Vi standing in the hallway.

"And take off your gauntlets!" Vi snorted, and, wiping her feet, followed Caitlyn through. The officer was grabbing plates from a cupboard, some sort of food was already heating up. Vi stood there awkwardly, and noticed a nearby table, slinking over to it and sitting down before hitting the release on her gauntlets. It took a minute; the various latches and bolts and valves disconnecting and separating before, with a loud hiss and a cloud of steam, clunking to the floor. Left behind on Vi's wrists were two bracelet like objects, chunky rings of Hextech. Reflexively, Vi activated them and they flowed down over hands, covering her knuckles in a layer of metal. They were backup weapons, made for stealth, little more than fancy brass knuckles. Although, Vi pondered, there wasn't much that was stealthy about punching people. Breaking off her philosophical train of thought, Caitlyn sat down, plunking the plates on the table. Vi, startled, reset her gauntlets so they reverted back to the bracelets before examining the food. After a second she realized it could barely be called "food." Mush was more appropriate. Warm mush. She gave Caitlyn a concerned look.

"Cupcake… What on earth is this? Ectoplasm?" She poked it with a fork, and it wobbled. Caitlyn gave Vi an askew glance, putting her fork down and answering:

"Lasagne. Sorry it's a bit deformed, I had trouble getting it out of the packet." Vi retches.

"Packet?! Cupcake, you're living in one of the best parts of town! There are gourmet restaurants everywhere! And how have you never learned to cook?" Caitlyn gives her a glare, more angry at herself than Vi, because frankly, she is right.

"I've spent my life chasing and catching criminals, building up the Wardens, and honing my skills. I've never had a spare moment." Vi raises an eyebrow in a grotesque attempt to copy Caitlyn's own look.

"I've spent my life chasing and catching criminals, evading the Wardens, and honing my skills. One of those was how to make a bang up meal." Caitlyn harumphs, glaring daggers at Vi, and waves a hand vaguely at the lasagne on her plate.

"So you think you could do better than this? I doubt it, and especially not to my standards."

"Well, in that case, I challenge you to a wager." Caitlyn stops eating entirely at this point, interest piqued.

"Oh? Do tell the terms." Vi leans in close, and Caitlyn blushes as her eyes roam obviously up and down her body.

"I make us dinner. Not now, but one day, I'll knock your socks off. Then, if you like it, you have to kiss me." Caitlyn's blush spreads to her ears, but she straightens her back, and in an only slightly shaky voice, says:

"And if I do not like it, girl?" Vi just grins at the Sherriff's attempt to bait her, and leans back, crossing her arms across her armoured chest.

"If you don't like it, I have to take you out on a date before we get to the kissing." Caitlyn seems to mull this over for a minute, and in the meantime Vi practiced her cocky grin. Caitlyn quickly got side-tracked admiring Vi and took a little prompting from the pinkette to startledley nod.

"For now, however…" Vi collapses into a chair, nearly overbalancing with practiced ease, and devours the food in three bites. Caitlyn goggles, mildly sickened, and eats hers at a much more measured pace. After she's done, she stands up and grabs a package wrapped in card and paper, throwing it sharply at Vi who catches it easily.

"What's this, Cupcake? If it's a bomb I accidentally posted you, sorry. It happens." Caitlyn gives her a horrified look, but skims the questioning; this is the least of several very strange habits possessed by the bruiser.

"No, Vi. It's your pay. You've earned it." Vi rips the packaging to shreds, but keeps the small rectangular object inside from harm, somehow. Vi twists it one way and the other, oggling. After a few seconds she sets it down, fixing Caitlyn an undecipherable look.

"Is this a joke? If it is, it's worse than a mail-bomb." The Sheriff frowns, then it hits her.

"It's a bank-chip. You can deposit it at any bank in your account." Vi's look twists into complete bewilderment.

"Why, by the City of Progress, would I give it away if it supposedly has my money on it?!" Caitlyn sighs.

"You don't know how banks work, do you?" Vi snorts.

"Of course I do! People put money in them, then I steal it." She swings her feet up onto the table. The buxom woman tuts.

"Okay, yes, well, that thing there has your pay in it. I… I guess I'll take you to get an account made… Where have you been keeping your money, Vi?" The woman, who had been inspecting the small piece of metal, shrugs.

"I don't. It would just make me a target, especially since I stole most of it from the Chembarons." Caitlyn slumps, realizing that there was a lot she would have to do to - and with - Vi so she could fit in. Equally, the thought of what she had said - of being a target for her entire life, hunted not only by the criminal underworld but by her own officers - had Caitlyn's temperament softening in sympathy. The concept of helping her to become an adult - especially when it came to taxes, as she could imagine Vi's response to the thought of giving her money away - made her temples ache, but the thought of spending so much time with her deputy made her stomach coil.


	3. Vi stands for Vibrant

AN:

Delicious, refreshing citrus

* * *

The next day was not as boring Vi had thought it would be. Teasing Caitlyn and stealing kisses was incredibly fun, but unfortunately, the blush that she loved to incite from Caitlyn she quickly learnt to quell due to inferiors constantly coming to her to provide reports and receive orders, and when they were out in public sorting out the various gaps in Vi's life, the furrowed brows and sidelong glances ashamed her. As for Vi, she realized that if she didn't flirt for an hour or so, Caitlyn would lose her resistance to it, and as such after the first few missed opportunities she did it when they were both aware they were in ear shot of as many people as possible. Caitlyn admonished Vi for breaking her word to do specifically not this but it was lacklustre when her face was bright red and was busy panting from another kiss. As such, when the day ended, Caitlyn was slightly very angry. Vi was pretty sure the rumour mill would be churning, but that didn't really matter to her. When she thought of the idea of the two being in a real "relationship" her stomach flipped circles.

Over the next month, Caitlyn acclimatises Vi to a life of normalcy in Piltover. Much of this is teaching her manners, and etiquette, though this goes dreadfully. She almost believes that the pinkette is purposefully resistant. When she thinks of the girl's upbringing, however, she doesn't mind, and besides, she wouldn't change her deputy for anything. Well… Unless there was a Vi clone that had a sense of table manners. But then again, she doubted Vi would stand for such a coup… She sighed, a dumb little smile stealing across her face. Oh well.

In this time, they had racked up an astounding record; Caitlyn hadn't realized how amazingly synergistic they were, but she was quickly coming to understand just what a gold mine she'd stumbled upon, in terms of a partner… And a lover. She had insisted that they not go any further than kissing; no matter what her heart said, she could never trust it over the calculating brain her parents had given her. In fact, whenever she thought of the concept of Vi meeting her parents, her brain - and her heart - did little cartwheels to dislodge the notion, firmly. That would definitely be for the future. The far, far future. Either way, coming back from a particularly difficult case involving raiding a Glorious Evolved church that had hidden an automated workshop, they both needed the rest. The hidden factory produced chem-slaves and other, more intelligent… Things. Robots. Not the true, sentient golems such as Blitzcrank, but mindless puppets. Caitlyn shivered to think what the mastermind behind it all wanted to do with them. Vi had no such illusions of grandeur; she hit things, she did it well, and she knew it. There was little else to consider, though she had her moments. It took a long time for them to get back, since they were coming all the way from Zaun, and they had to go to the cargo elevators to take their car with them. By the time they got back, Caitlyn was exhausted. Vi, however, was strangely energetic. Why?

"Time for me to make that dinner, Cupcake." The Sheriff sighed and nodded wearily, secretly exulting.

Vi didn't waste any time scouring Caitlyn's cupboards for something to use. There was very little until she came across a dusty bag of spaghetti and a packet of ham in the coldgem-cupboard, along with a single egg. She grimaced, but set upon the task with due diligence, for Vi had never backed down from a challenge. She was not sure that spaghetti with chopped up ham and boiled egg was really a dinner, but frankly there just wasn't anything else in the entire house. She'd checked. Caitlyn seemed to like it, and Vi would eat most things anyway, but after the meal Caitlyn had hummed and shook her head, smiling mischievously.

"Vi, I just don't think this was good enough. I think we'll have to go on that date. Good effort, however, and better luck next time." Vi just snorted, a little grin on her face, and Caitlyn returned it, absurdly happy for no reason she could put her finger on. This swiftly ended when, just the next day, Vi directed her to the very edges of Piltover, where gangs were creeping into influence.

"Why do you want to go there?" They're in the car, Caitlyn having made sure to doll herself up. Vi has put on a clean shirt.

"That date I promised you? May as well get it over with, yeah?" Caitlyn harrumphs and floors the accelerator. Vi is totally oblivious to her anger, but that doesn't stop her from noticing the suddenly erratic driving. She's spent the whole day - and yesterday - laying the innuendos and bawdy jokes on thick, trying to build up Caitlyn's tolerance. It seems to be working, in her eyes.

"Yo, Cupcake, you had a couple drinks when I wasn't watching? You almost broke that-" Caitlyn swerves a little too close to the pavement and clips a lamp, denting the wing mirror.

"Ok so you actually broke it that time. Do you want me to drive? You seem a little ten-" The petite woman turns on her like a dragon.

"YES, Vi, I am a little tense. You've been aggravating me all day, and the fact that you think our date is something to get over and done with soon as is a little disheartening, so forgive me if I'm slightly angry." Vi stares at Caitlyn like she's grown a third arm, and then they arrive at the pub. She slowly leans over the isle in-between the seats, scared Caitlyn will explode again, and gently places one hand on Caitlyn's arm, turning her to face Vi, who is startled to see tears in her eyes. When Caitlyn sobs Vi feels her heart start to crack just a little, and she awkwardly brings Caitlyn to her chest, who breaks down entirely. Vi isn't sure what to do, so she just pats the crying woman on the back and whispers nonsense that she's sure sounds really stupid to anyone listening. After a few minutes, Caitlyn pulls back and sniffs a final time, staring down at her lap. Vi reaches over and takes one of her hands, and Caitlyn smiles sadly in appreciation.

"S-Sorry about that, Vi. I… Just…"

"That's ok, Cupcake. Everyone needs to just cry a bit every now and then. Apart from me. I break things… Thinking about it, doing this was better, yeah? Heh." Caitlyn smiles again and takes Vi's hand, breathing deeply.

"I was just… God, all that teasing you do to me. Sometimes I feel like you're trying to piss me off." Vi laughs.

"That was almost a swear word, Cupcake! And the reason it feels like that is likely because I am trying to piss you off. It's funny to see your face go so red." Then she leans forward and takes Caitlyn's head in hers, pressing their lips together for a few seconds.

"Of course, the brilliant kissing is always a bonus. So, on with the romantic dinner?" Caitlyn nods, smoothing down her dress and adjusting her hat so it sits just right. Vi clambers out with her usual lack of grace, and strides to the pub. Caitlyn wishes she would at least open her door or something, but that's probably just from the novels she reads too many of. Vi'd chosen a slightly-less-seedy-than-normal pub for this outing, so that Caitlyn wasn't put off quite so much, and as they walked through the door she greeted the regulars one by one. The last slipped her a little something-something as a favour he owed her - the rest giving Caitlyn glares and askew glances - and then the two officers sat down in a private booth by the wall. Vi ordered the meat platter and a lager (eliciting a raised eyebrow from her companion) and Caitlyn a light salad and small glass of wine (eliciting a snort from _her_ companion) and the two started talking about random shit. Vi was glad this was so easy; normally she and her date had nothing to talk about, but working together meant there was a lot to fall back on. Caitlyn, however, was glad that she hadn't had a panic attack and that Vi was being so easy on her. She suspected that Vi had never truly done something romantic, and the idea that she was Vi's first made her head swim. The food was better than expected, though she had to resist gagging at the speed and gusto with which Vi devoured her plated prey. After the second wine glass Caitlyn was slightly tipsy and after the fifth lager Vi was still sober as can be. The date lasted another hour as the two simply sat and talked, finishing their drinks, but as the hour progressed Vi made her language more and more… Risqué. Caitlyn was soon blushing and giggling in equal measure, and Vi had to stop herself from escalating the kissing right there in the booth. She was just… So cute, and vulnerable. Even as the thought came to her, fierce warmth spread in her chest and she vowed to protect her, even if this didn't turn out.

* * *

Once they had paid, Vi stood and sauntered outside, Caitlyn stumbling after her. Caitlyn was sure she'd drunk too much, so Vi drove them both home, and for some reason it took a fraction of the time it did when Caitlyn drove. She'd had calmed down some by the time Vi pulled up in the drive, and, still embarrassed as to how this day had already panned out, climbed out of the car a little stiffly, quickly grabbing her rifle and unlocking the door. Vi was a little put off; had she fucked up somewhere and not realized?

"Hey, boss, anything wrong? The date was good, right?" Caitlyn completed her ritual of storing her equipment, then turned to Vi, hands on hips. The aforementioned Enforcer was scared at this point of what Caitlyn had to say, though she wasn't sure why. When the Sherriff leaned up to kiss her sweetly, however, her fears melted and her cocky arrogance returned in full force. She gripped Caitlyn by the hips, pulling the two together so that Caitlyn was crushed against the metal breastplate that she wore. The slim woman moaned into the kiss, the feeling of power Vi exuded making her head swim, but after what seemed like hours she pulled back and looked into Vi's eyes. Vi stared right back, a soft smile on her face, and brushed a loose strand of hair back behind Caitlyn's ear. At that point she knew what she wanted from – with – Vi. She grasped Vi's hand and started to lead her up the stairs. Once Vi realized what was happening, she froze, pulling Caitlyn so she could look in her eyes. Caitlyn didn't realize she was holding her breath until Vi nodded, continuing to drag her towards her own bedroom. Once there Vi closed the door, locking it with a click that made Caitlyn jump.

Vi sat down on the bed, sighing as the stress of the day soaked out of her, and then removed her boots, followed by her armour, padding, and jacket, dumping them unceremoniously on the floor. Caitlyn stood by the door, slightly overwhelmed and not really sure what to do. Vi noticed and patted the bed next to her, and Caitlyn hesitantly sat down. Vi placed an arm around her shoulders and she flinched, causing Vi to shake her head.

"Cupcake, chill a little, yeah? You're wound up tighter than Jayce's asshole." Caitlyn stared incredulously, then snorted as she tried to hold back laughter, which failed when Vi tickled her sides. After a minute or two of that, Vi ended up pinning Caitlyn to the floor, one hand next to her head with the other holding her up. Caitlyn was still panting slightly when Vi kissed her aggressively, barely containing her lust in favour of making sure Caitlyn had the same pleasure she did, after a second or two bringing down one hand to cup one plump breast. Caitlyn gasped into the kiss, turning into a moan as Vi gently squeezed through the thick fabric, getting bolder. Caitlyn lay limp as Vi continued her ministrations, until she was full-on groping the Sheriff, and before Caitlyn had realised her blouse was lying on the floor next to her. Vi sat up, then, and removed her own shirt, revealing she wore nothing underneath, before picking Caitlyn up and throwing her over her shoulder. Caitlyn squealed as Vi threw her onto the bed, bouncing once as the Enforcer stood at the foot; the look of hunger in her eyes making heat pool in Caitlyn's core. She whimpered as Vi crawled onto the bed, locking lips again as one hand trailed upwards to once again grasp a breast. Caitlyn wasn't content to sit there now the beginning shock had worn off, but was hesitant to return the favour, as evidenced by her hands simply resting against Vi's hips. The pinkette pulled back and gazed at her with blistering heat.

"Come on now, you should know what to do, Cupcake. You don't want to be selfish do you?" Caitlyn scowled and, almost to spite her, pulled one hand up and began lightly pawing a breast, causing Vi to chuckle and whisper 'good girl' into her ear. Her rational mind said she should probably be insulted by that, but the rest of her just shivered as an itch started to grow inside of her.

After Vi felt Caitlyn was ready to move on, she snuck one hand under the slimmer woman's back and unclasped the lacy bra she wore, throwing it over her shoulder to land god-knows-where. Caitlyn unconsciously reached up with one hand to cover her heaving breasts, achieving very little given their size. Vi broke their kiss and stared Caitlyn in the eye as she fingered the waistband of her skirt, asking permission. Caitlyn gave it by shakily smiling and reaching one hand to Vi's trousers to do the same, and both were quickly lying completely naked. Vi seemed at ease, a slight sheen of sweat making her glow, whereas Caitlyn felt she was starting to panic when she first laid eyes on Vi's naked body pinning hers to the bed, thighs on either side of hers. All she had to do was look down from her face and, though they weren't very big, Vi's own breasts were jiggling there, and just a little further and there was that heavenly nirvana, and then Vi kissed her again, one hand rolling a nipple between deft fingers and Caitlyn couldn't remember her own name. After a short time she stopped, Caitlyn moaning in protest, before she felt the hand slowly dragging down her stomach. It dipped into her navel, swirling lower and lower, before jumping to grasp onto her thigh. It dug into the muscle there, a pleasant ache pulsing into her sex, and just as Caitlyn felt she couldn't take it anymore, Vi finally moved that final inch. One finger swept between her lips, gathering the dew there, and, staring Caitlyn in the eyes, sucked on the finger, sampling the taste.

"Mmm, sweet. You should put this in your cupcakes, Cupcake!" Caitlyn moaned intelligibly when Vi repeated the action.

"V-Vi, please, just…" Vi slowly edged one finger into the tight, wet hole between her legs, causing her to gasp as her hips thrust against the digit.

"Please what, boss? Please fuck you silly? Please stick my fingers into your hot, tight cunt?" Vi smiled, and Caitlyn blushed as the vulgar words poured from her partner's mouth, swallowing hard as she hesitantly nodded. Vi pushed in further, only slightly, and Caitlyn reacted in such a delicious way as Vi challenged:

"Say it. Say you want me to finger fuck you. Go on, boss." The way Vi said 'boss' when demanding such things from her made Caitlyn burn inside, and that drove her to stutter out the words as a second finger stretched her most intimate spot.

"P-please, Vi, f-fuck me!" and when Vi's mouth locked onto her neck and sucked her pulse point, light flashed behind her eyes, but after Vi pushed her thick fingers as deep as they could go, rapidly fucking them in and out of Caitlyn's pussy, the light enveloped her entire body, the climax crushing her beneath its intensity. When her orgasm faded, she looked blearily into Vi's eyes, trying to talk, to move, to do anything, but she felt so sleepy and safe and… Happy, here, in her pinkette's arms. Vi kissed her once on the temple, and then Caitlyn was already asleep. Vi licked the juice from her fingers, smiling as her Cupcake drifted to sleep. She grabbed the covers and flung them over the pair, grasping her around the waist and holding the sleeping woman to her chest, before she followed her.


	4. Vi stands for Vixen

AN:

The second lemon, although it's kind of cheating since it was just right there and I cut it out so I could put it in this chapter :P

Also, the introduction of both of our other characters. I would recommend reading up a little on those stories, if you haven't already.

* * *

In that purgatory between asleep and awake, Caitlyn was confused. She was much warmer than usual, as well as being on her side, which she never normally was. She felt a little… Crushed, by something. Her body wailed for her to just forget about it and fall asleep, since the warmth was incredibly pleasant, but her mind was dragging itself further and further out of the abyss and when she was there she realized that…! God. Had they really done that, last night? She blushed when remembering what she'd said to Vi, and her stomach twisted in delight with the mere memory. The crushing sensation was Vi herself, her body weight slightly on top of hers. She realized they were still naked, and that made her blush spread further, but when Vi woke up a second later and started rubbing her stomach unconsciously, she didn't mind so much.

"Mmm, morning, Cupcake. Why are- Oh, we had sex. Nice."

"Do you have to be so… Blunt, about it? You make it sound like a conquest." Vi growls and just the sound makes Caitlyn want to rub her thighs together, and when Vi flips them so she's pinning Caitlyn to the bed, the feeling intensifies, driving her crazy.

"You're damn right, Cupcake, and I plan to conquer you several dozen times , as often as I can. Besides, blunt is just my style." Caitlyn shivers at the thought of Vi's particular brand of 'conquest,' but then Vi rolls off of her and walks into the adjoining bathroom

"Come on, boss. We've got to get going, or did you forget? Right upstanding citizens of the city, we are." Caitlyn lies in shock for a moment, and then groans as the heat in her core pulses, demanding, watching that glorious, toned ass escape her. She'd only ever taken care of herself a few times, and each was awkward and slow. Then again, she supposes, she didn't have a girlfriend to do it for her then. She follows Vi into the bathroom as the shower starts flowing, opening a window to air the room.

Caitlyn climbs into the shower next to Vi, and realizes this is the first good look that she's gotten at her partner… And damn, what a look. Toned, lean muscle covered her, the outline of a six-pack pressed into her stomach, the water making her skin glisten. Caitlyn had never truly found anyone attractive, until now… The thought of those thick arms grasping her, crushing them together as they kissed, those strong, muscled thighs hooked over her shoulders as she-

"You thinking about me, Cupcake? You have a really sexy look on your face." Caitlyn breaks out of her reverie and feels her pussy clench, already aroused again. Was this what it was like to have sex for the first time? Suddenly, everything made her so... Hot. Especially the pink-haired, muscle-bound wrecking ball in front of her. She realizes Vi is waiting for a response, and, trying her best to make her voice low and sultry, responds:

"Yes, I'm thinking of you. You look so… S-Sexy… So strong." Vi seemed amused, but reaches out to hook Caitlyn around the waist, the other hand cupping her jaw as the water streams down the both of them, capturing her lips in a bruising kiss. Spinning around, she slammed Caitlyn against the tiled wall, pressing against her bodily, freeing both hands to grope her chest.

"O-Oh, Vi! What are you doing to me?!" Vi growls as she moves her head down to Caitlyn's neck, sucking hard.

"Conquest, boss," as Caitlyn shudders under her, both hands busily twisting and pulling a pink nub, and then her mouth moves down to replace one, and Caitlyn would have screamed had she the energy… But when Vi uses her now free hand to slap her ass, digging her fingers in and kneading painfully, she did scream into the air, convulsing as Vi nipped and bit at her nipple, and as the other hand abandons one breast to curl into her pussy and press a spot inside of her she didn't know existed, her lungs stopped working and her brain shut down for the ecstasy. When her senses come to her, Vi is smirking smugly. She was being held up, one arm around her shoulders and the other still possessively grasping one ass cheek. Caitlyn drew in one last, deep breath, and let her head loll forward to rest in the hollow of Vi's neck. Vi maneuvered them under the water stream, her hands moving over Caitlyn so that, rather than holding her, she embraced the delicate woman. Caitlyn looked up and Vi kissed her again softly, smiling in a way that made her heart ache.

"Come on, Cupcake. We do have to get to work."

The next case was, at first glance, nothing special. An isolated report of wanton destruction, mayhem, and aggravated assault with heavy weaponry. Oh, and graffiti. The targets were dozens of monuments, public projects, famous works. They were clearly targeting the representations of the city's greatest achievements. It was something more severe than Vi had seen at her entire time at the station, and was eager to prove herself to the force, who were still confused over Caitlyn's decision, especially now Vi had started the rumour they were fucking like rabbits. She'd always hated liars; as such, she'd resolved to make that rumour true ASAP. Either way, the report was just one, at first; the officer who took the call would have put it under low priority, since it was Roguery Day, a time for pranks aplenty, but like a plague it multiplied, traveled, several calls confirmed it, and due to the high-danger nature it was re-routed straight to the Sheriffs, one of whom was a certain purple-hatted woman, and in turn was at the present moment expressing a concern she had to Vi.

"Alright, deputy, listen up. So far we've only had you operate under controlled conditions. There has been little risk of danger to civilians and any collateral damage has been limited. But this time, the perpetrator has already shown a penchant for mayhem. They won't hesitate to cause destruction and death to escape us, and you attempting to chase them could… Uh… Alright, you could be just as bad. You charging around the city where none of us will be able to keep up could be just as damaging as the criminal themselves." Vi plasters fake hurt onto her face.

"How could you say that, Cupcake? I'm a role model. I'm a damned virtuous angel of beauty. I'm-"

"Yes, thank you, Vi. The perp is here, in the industrial district. They've mostly been blowing up abandoned warehouses, specifically avoiding population centres. That's good; it means they aren't interested in terrorism, just mayhem, attracting our attention. We'll be able to bait them, and that is where you come in. Some of my officers, and the other Sheriffs, are going to try and corral her to a specific area, cordon it off, and then you come in. Distract her, keep her attention, and I'll land a knockout shot. If she runs, chase her, but remember; don't go busting through buildings. Any questions?" Vi, with a cheeky grin, puts her hand up. Caitlyn sighs, rubbing her face with a hand, and gestures to her.

"Yes, Vi. What is it?"

"Miss, can I go to the toilet before we go on the field trip?" Caitlyn rolls her eyes and nods, and Vi is suddenly standing next to her, one hand wrapping around her and pulling her in, whispering into her ear:

"And can you come with me… Miss?" Caitlyn blushes, but does her best to extract herself from Vi's grip. She succeeds, but both know Vi let her go.

"I… We have a job to do. Maybe later. But first we have to catch this criminal; they're still rampaging as we speak." Vi pouts and kisses her, but, respecting her decision, backs off and hoists her gauntlets.

"Lead on, boss."

* * *

It did _not_ go well. The officers, Caitlyn included, quickly got left behind in their chase. Some of the Sheriffs managed to keep pace, but were almost entirely consumed by falling buildings or disappeared in explosive conflagrations. The vandal was quick, and the number of explosions meant any vehicle's route forward was quickly blocked by rubble, denying any movement not on-foot. The one exception was Vi herself; she was so tantalizingly, aggravatingly close to them, and something inside her was terrified. The neon paint, the taunting, hysterical laughter… The glimpses of blue hair and crazy pink eyes could all only mean one thing, and that one thing was _not_ a good one. At first, she tried to adhere to Caitlyn's rule of minimising collateral damage, but as the perp started drawing further and further away, something inside of her wouldn't let the scumbag get away. A mix of stubbornness and concerned fear, driving, a game of destructive chicken in which the city was caught in the middle, a poor, innocent bystander killed in the crossfire. This continued for at least five minutes, crossing districts and leaving debris in their wake. This culminated in a small, unassuming house. She could hear them inside, giggling, trying to keep quiet. She stepped up to the wall keeping her from them and prepared to show it the error of its ways.

When Caitlyn and the others found her, she had dragged herself out. The scene was definitely… Strange. There was a street covered in graffiti and bullet holes, then a building that had apparently collapsed and had a bomb -actually, several bombs - explode in, around, and on top of it, leaving it a pile of rubble. Vi was holding a small object, a crumpled piece of metal strangely reminiscent of the unholy union of a grenade and a bear trap. Vi was staring at it, her arms resting on her knees as the hands dangled, clutching. Her gauntlets were reverently laid to the side, completely clean despite the dust caking everything else. Caitlyn approached slowly from behind, surveying the area in both awe and fear. Vi didn't do this alone, unlike many times before. When she grabbed Vi's shoulder, the pinkette turned and stared at her, and Caitlyn felt fear creep up her spine.

"Vi… Vi, why are you crying?" She posited the question softly, scared of pushing Vi into a blind rage. She simply shook her head, turning back to the thing in her hand, and stood up. It disappeared into a pocket, whatever it was, and then the Vi she knew and loved was back, gauntlets vibrating with pent-up energy.

"It's Jinx, boss. My sister. She… She's back." Vi cracked a weak smile, then rolled her neck and stalked off through the rubble.

"And this time, she isn't getting away." Caitlyn nodded and turned, ordering the uniforms following them to cordon the area. She had questions - so, so many - but they could wait. Vi was an unstable person at the best of times, and she'd rather have this conversation in the safety of their home. Vi stared down at her spread hands, the gauntleted fingers clean and shining. All she saw was the blood, red and thick, still there after all these years…

The chomper felt heavy in her pocket, warm and sharp, weighting down her mind. She stalked off to the car and slumped into the driving seat. Caitlyn entered a second later, trying her best to comfort Vi without making it obvious. Vi turned the key, the car roared to life. When she didn't drive off, Caitlyn reached over and grasped her hand, squeezed.

"I'll kill her again if I have to, Cupcake. I can't let her hurt any more people." Vi went silent after her admission. Caitlyn didn't say anything, knowing she wasn't done. "But we can't do it alone. We're going to need help, help from someone I'd always hoped to meet. Never under these circumstances, though." The car pulled away and Caitlyn blurted-

"Who?" Vi sighed, swung in a J-turn, and floored the gas.

"Ekko. Kid's some sort of hero, back in the sump. Your intelligencers have to know him, if you know me. He's the real deal. Black, white paint, weird sword?" Caitlyn nodded slowly, half-remembered images from dossiers and folders. He wasn't selected due to his unpredictable psyche, strange methods, and ultimately, the fact that Vi was easier to manipulate; not that she knew it. Or that Caitlyn would ever tell her. Ever. Besides, the information on him was severely limited, second-hand reports and strange occurrences of glitchy equipment.

"We don't know much about him. But he was effective, at the least. Why would he help us, and how?" When they stopped behind a hover lorry Vi turned to her, unrestricted by a seatbelt (which Caitlyn was working on changing).

"Because it's what he does. He helps people. There isn't much to say. I don't know how, but we're gonna need him. Either way, Ekko will help us because he's a good person. He wants to stop people getting hurt." Caitlyn raised her eyebrow.

"Oh? He goes around beating people with a glowing bat. That isn't stopping people being hurt." Vi snorted in derision.

"I beat up people too. We do the same thing, just I'm way cooler. And hotter, stronger, better with cars-"

"Ok, yes, thank you Vi. Don't worry, you're all the man I need." Vi laughed, entirely unfazed as she sped into the opposite lane around the lorry straight into oncoming traffic and just barely got back into the lane in time to avoid the tram blaring at them. "All the man I need…"

"What was that Cupcake?"

"Nothing, dear."

* * *

They left the car, this time. Going through the sump was impossible in any kind of conventional vehicle, anyway, not to mention automatically attracting the attention of the powers-that-be. Not that they needed help doing that. The walk was relatively boring, only a half-dozen attempts at a mugging, though Vi was finding it very useful to visit the Undercity again. She had a lot of people who she wanted to talk to, and who wanted to talk to her, though in some cases this involved more fists than tongues. Either way, when they finally arrived at Ekko's supposed abode, Vi was ready and willing for some fun, of any kind. Caitlyn was weary, wary, and ready to kill someone. The smell of the sump, a chemical malaise that made your hair curl and die, had her on edge, but Vi was used to it. The pinkette went to knock, but Caitlyn quickly put that to bed and rapped gently on the metal. It doesn't even make a sound. She tried again, but it just made her knuckles hurt. Grinning smugly Vi stepped forward and prepared to give the door the knocking of its life, but a voice cut from the twilight behind them.

"You don't look like Chembaron lackeys." Caitlyn spun, on edge. Vi sneered at the dark shape, hidden in a patch of shadow.

"I ain't no one's lackey, let alone some green-goo peddler." Caitlyn's hands curl tightly on her rifle, but she can barely see her target.

"Well, then, what are you? And what do you want with me?" The boy steps forward from the darkness. He's much shorter than Caitlyn would have thought, and upon examination, much younger. His mohawk is… Shocking, as is the strange capsule clipped to his belt. He wears a cynically hopeful expression; a guarded happiness. Vi grins. Caitlyn sighs.

"We are from the Wardens. I am Sheriff Caitlyn, and this is my deputy, Vi." The bruiser raises a gauntlet in a way of greeting, a jet of steam breaking loose. The Sheriff nods slightly. Ekko grins, pointing at the pinkette.

"Heeey, I know that name… Vi. You were a troublemaker, I remember. A woman after my own heart, eh? But you vanished a month ago. Everyone thought you were dead." She spits on the ground, then rolls her shoulders with a series of pops.

"Nah. Too cool. Just… Got a new hobby. And speaking of names, you must be the man, the legend, the remnant of times long gone." Caitlyn nods and lowers the barrel of her rifle an inch.

"An Ekko of better times, past and future." The boy sobers, his grin slipping.

"I try to be." They stand in silence for a grave moment, measuring. "What do the Wardens want with me? And how did you get here?" Vi snorts and cuts in as Caitlyn begins to reply.

"We walked. How else do you think?" The boy shakes his head, muttering something unbecoming.

"No, I mean did you take one of the conveyors, or the bridges?" Vi opens her mouth to reply, then her eyes widen. She turns to Caitlyn, hoisting her gauntlets.

"Get somewhere hot, Cupcake. We're gonna have company." The Sheriff frowns, but starts to look for vantage points as she replies, trusting Vi to know what she's talking about. But, still…

"What are you talking about?" Ekko lifts a weapon that appeared from nowhere.

"The Chembarons watch all the elevators, for marks, and for threats. No matter which, they send men, if it's interesting - or lucrative - enough. Up until now, we've been part of a larger force whenever we came here. But this time… Fuck, I can't believe I _fucking_ forgot!" At the far end of the street, at a haphazard junction, people start scattering before a sickly, pervasive green light. No one could misunderstand what it means.

The lifeblood of augmentation, the be-all-end-all of one-upmanship, Chemtech… The Zaunite way.

And attached, as a meaty afterthought? A few dozen goons, mooks, and toughs, with a dazzling array of weapons and upgrades.

Caitlyn sighs and starts climbing a ramshackle fire escape, little more than girders and a ladder. Vi chuckles, smile splitting her face, and adjusts the goggles she keeps on her head for fashion emergencies. Ekko is stoic and grim, silent, but spares Vi a slim smile.

"Well, at least I get to know if you're worth the trouble or not, yeah?" Vi's voice is cocky and loud, daring, unoppressed by the imminent threat. The mob of human scum stops a few metres away. A particularly ugly, large and green specimen steps forward. His face is entirely missing behind a mesh of metal plates and tubes, and his grossly swelled muscles throb with barely-checked violence. Vi likes him already. Caitlyn singles him out as a target. Ekko, emotions aside, steps forward.

"What do you want, Grendel?" His voice is firm, stolid. The thug's is too menacing and darkly suggestive to put into words.

 ** _"The girl."_** He lifts one stubby finger and points at Vi. They can sense his grin, but not see it. **_"We'll have so much fun with her."_**

The rest of the men chuckle and seethe and click joints, brandishing their unsavoury nature like a weapon. And also actual weapons.

Vi hawks and spits at the man's feet. Caitlyn, hidden in the darkness above them, shudders. Ekko sweeps his view across the crowd.

 ** _"Where's that pretty friend of yours?"_** The lump comically mimes searching for Caitlyn, then locks onto her hiding place. Vi bristles.

"Why do you want Vi? She's just a Pilty, and not a rich one at that." Ekko pulls his focus. The beast grunts and gestures dismissively.

" ** _Don't want her money. Pain in Boss' arse for years. Payback time."_** His voice is an offensive object in and of itself. Vi cuts in, words bored and blunt.

"You're outnumbered and outgunned. Turn around with your tail between your legs and slink back to mommy, or we'll have to teach you a lesson in manners, buddy." There's a moment of stunned silence, then the whole sea of unwashed meat guffaws and coughs and snickers in a variety of sinister tones. Vi's smile grows and grows until it threatens to leap off her face and hit people all by itself. Recovering, the leader vaguely sweeps an arm in her direction.

 ** _"How? Many of us… Three of you."_** An arm comes up, reveals the barrel of a cannon, wrought of flesh and metal. Caitlyn quietly sighs. She can smell the line coming further off than Ekko.

 _"Exactly."_

The howling mass charge, swinging wildly and firing more so. Their bullets kill more buildings than people. Vi meets them head on, barrelling through like a bull, pulverizing and roaring in equal proportion. Ekko darts back and forth, never still, ducking and weaving like he can see a few seconds ahead, club meeting just the right spots to put down his enemies. Caitlyn goes to work, using her electro-net rounds to debilitate and restrain, at first. But she quickly realises they're having little to no affect, and has no choice but to switch over to live ammunition. Frankly, massacre doesn't do it justice. The skirmish is so one-sided for a time that Caitlyn starts preserving ammo, only intervening when Vi is in trouble, which isn't very often. Then there's a barking report, a billow of smoke and foul gasses, and the cannon belches a wave of vitriolic fire. Several of the men melt in an instant, screams stifled, but Vi's blast shield absorbs the attack, and now she has a clear line of sight to the not-quite-man. Singling him out with one oversized, mechanical finger, she bursts into a dash of blistering velocity, ploughing through those who try to stop her like they aren't even there. Grasping the man by the grotesque lack of a face, she swings him up and over her head, slamming him into an unlucky soul, then flinging him into the air and soaring up with him. Caitlyn squeezes a shot that revolves him into Vi's eagerly pouncing fist, who then throws him into the ground. His groans are still strong enough to be audible over the rest of the fight, so Vi gives him her special shut-the-fuck-up treatment. When all is said and done, the rest flee like mutts, leaving their late leader behind. Ekko comes forward and claps Vi on the back, laughing, the first strong emotion he's displayed.

"I'm tempted to watch that again! Damn that was satisfying." Caitlyn struts up, gun smoking, and pokes Grendel with her heeled foot. The lump doesn't make a sound, but several broken pipes burble and spill more goo. She swiftly steps back. Ekko's grin fades.

"But now they know where I live." Vi shrugs.

"Well, if you're coming with us, you won't have to worry about that." He sighs and shakes his head.

"But my parents can't… You know, I could rewind this. I could not show myself and keep my life intact." He turns to them. Something hardens inside of him, steeling his resolve.

"But I won't. What do you need me to do?" Caitlyn turns to Vi, since she has absolutely no idea. She's still a little shaken from the previous murdering she just took part in, and isn't sure how to feel about it.

"There's someone operating topside. She's small, covered in cloud tattoos, with twin blue pigtails reaching her feet, and wearing a lot of belts. Oh, she has a minigun, and a rocket launcher. Goes by Jinx. First off, you heard anything about her?" Ekko frowns and shakes his head, absently fiddling with a gizmo.

"Nah, nothing. And she sounds pretty memorable." Vi huffs and crosses her arms.

"Then we'll need you to look harder. She…" Vi trails off, staring into the distance. Caitlyn picks up for her.

"She's dangerous, and hard to catch, and she must be coming down here in between her attacks. Vi tells me that she won't stop. We have to find her before she demolishes the whole of Piltover and moves onto something more fun. So… I know this is a lot, but the Wardens will be very grateful… And generous." Vi nods, jaw clenched. Ekko nods slowly.

"...Okay. I'll do what I can to find and stop her. But I'm gonna need a new place to go, and my parents. We can't stay here." Vi grins and claps him on the back, which almost sends him flying.

"Knew you would live up to the stories! Well don't worry, cos' you can stay at my old place! I don't need it anymore, since I'm staying with Cupcake here." She attempts to repeat her friendly assault on Caitlyn who, being more savvy to Vi's quirks, steps out of the way. The pinkette doesn't seem to notice.

"Yes, well, thank you for your time, Ekko, and if you ever need assistance on any matter, ask for us." He nods, sombre.

* * *

Vi takes Ekko on a tour of her crib, disarms the traps, and then retires with Caitlyn. She still hasn't seen Ekko's parents, but she can sense the boy is reluctant to include them. Either way, this time on their way back, they barely see a soul. Their arrival in any area is precluded by the shuttering of windows and the death of conversations, their reputation reaching beyond their own movement. Vi is happy about this, since she's always had to keep relatively low-key, after she left her position as head of her own gang. Caitlyn is decidedly less thrilled, especially since this compounds on her guilt. She's killed before, but she'd never felt such… Emotion. Normally she could keep her feelings in check, but recently it was getting harder and harder. When she glanced at Vi to see how she was taking it - who, for the record, was grinning and cupping her chest as she told a ribald joke that Caitlyn wasn't listening to - she suffered that flush of heat and unfamiliar wave that left her gasping, unable to form cohesive thought, and she realized. Until she'd met Vi, she'd avoided confronting her emotions. Now that she couldn't the guilt was left to surface, amid the other thoughts she'd buried. She realized she hadn't seen her family in months. She'd been so… Fixated. C was slipping further away, disappearing, and she was scared she'd never see him again. By the time she'd managed to sort through the internal monologue, they were back at home, and Vi was disappearing into the kitchen. She took off her hat, slotted her rifle into the stand, and followed her.


	5. Vi stands for Vinegar

AN:

Some more deliciously sour citrus, and a build up to the next interaction between the long gun of the law and our favourite madwoman.

* * *

"So, what's the next move, boss?" Vi was soaking her hands in a tub of ice water; the gauntlets clamped themselves to her wrists, and beyond the chafing, they were also slowly crushing her bones. She had removed her armour, sitting in a sweaty padded vest. Caitlyn was trying to ignore the coiling in her stomach and the heat pooling in her core; the musky, overpowering smell of Vi is almost too much to handle. She can still recall how she quivered at Vi's hands last time.

"We can do little but wait. I have a few prisoners waiting for interrogation - you can enjoy those - and then Mohan said he has a lead for us. I doubt it will amount to anything, but -" The sharp whistling followed by a hollow _thump_ prefaced the arrival of a pneuma-tube. The familiar sound startled Caitlyn, though Vi just smiled at her. Strutting over, she pulled out the scroll and started reading it. Vi groaned in relief and sat back, her wrists blissfully numb. When Caitlyn slammed the case onto the table, she opened one eye.

"Everything all right, Cupcake?" In answer, her lover slides the scroll across. Vi leans in and reads it, hands still submerged, each line drawing her brows closer together, her teeth gritting harder, hands clenching to the point of being white. When she's finished she snorts, leans back, and looks Caitlyn in the eye, who meets her with words.

"She's getting bolder. She's taunting us, taunting _you._ " Vi doesn't reply, but looks away. Caitlyn sighs.

"Vi… Vi, when we went after her on Rogueing Day, you said… You said she was your sister. And that you would kill her again if you had to. What… What did you mean?" Vi shifts uncomfortably and draws her hands out, opting to fiddle with some imperfection on the table.

"I meant what I said. Jinx. She's my sister. You don't know her name yet, but that's what it is. Don't worry, she'll start tagging it directly soon enough." She takes a deep breath and stands up, moving to the coldgem-cupboard. She activates her stealth gauntlets and pops the bottle cap on a beer, then sits back down and takes a long swig.

"What about you killing her again? And how come you've never mentioned her?" Vi clicks her nails against the bottle, thinking.

"I don't talk about her. She was no longer part of my life. I killed her, and I mean that in a very literal sense. I… She was dangerous. Maniacal. She wasn't always, but over time she grew more and more unstable. I told her, stop, behave, or I'll be forced to make sure you won't hurt anyone again. We fought, but she never stood a chance against me. I broke her neck." Another swig. "But… Apparently not. I don't know how she lived, how she came back, or why. But I do know one thing." _Clink,_ as she sets the bottle down.

"She wants to have fun, and that means mayhem, destruction, and pink paint. And she won't stop."

There's a minute of brooding silence before Caitlyn slowly reaches across, grabs the bottle, and takes a measured sip. Grimacing, she repeats the action, then replaces it. Vi grins at her, sombre mood shattered, and drinks the last bit. Then she stands and rolls her shoulders, groaning as the ache starts to return in her wrists.

"What's wrong?" The Sheriff's voice is, to the uninitiated, relatively even. To Vi… It's horny.

"Just the gauntlets. If I wear them for too long, it starts to take its toll." She walks over slowly, exaggerating the movement of her hips and shoulders. Caitlyn doesn't realize her eyes are roving up and down Vi's form, but the pinkette does. When she gets to Caitlyn's chair she holds a calloused hand out. Caitlyn shakes her head and blushes, then reaches up and grasps Vi's wrist. In a startling spin, Vi pulls Caitlyn's back to her and crushes her against the table. Her gasp is magnificent.

"But not enough to stop us enjoying a little fun…" She sucks on that point on Caitlyn's neck through her grin.

"V-Vi! Really?! In the kitc-AH!" The blow, dulled by the layers of cloth covering her ass, is still strong enough to smart. The other yanks down her already precariously positioned bodice, sending her breasts bouncing, and then immediately latches on, squeezing and groping roughly. The hands are stingingly cold, her nipples burning against the feeling. The Sheriff gasps and pants and then Vi's mouth covers her own, tongues lashing over and over, though both know the inevitable outcome.

"Damn right in the kitchen. We're gonna fuck in every room of this house, then at the precinct, then, when I meet your parents, we're gonna fuck in their house, too. I'm gonna _own_ you, and _everyone is gonna know it_." The hand comes down again and Caitlyn bucks, thighs trembling, and presses needily against Vi. The words, though she would never admit it, turn her on beyond belief. One of her hands comes up from supporting herself to groping the other breast, rolling a nipple, but unable to compete against Vi's calloused, rough palm sliding over her supple skin. The hand lovingly caressing her ass slides down and under her skirt, which isn't too hard. It climbs up her thigh, digging into the coiled muscle. But the closer the hand gets to her dripping need, it goes slower and slower until it's barely moving at all and she can't take it, the hands busying themselves at her chest not nearly enough for her.

"D-Deputy! You will give me what I want, or damnit, I will never let you punch someone again!" Vi's grin is so insufferable, but just the sight of it - of her - makes her pussy clench in want. The reply is so soft, velvet, quiet and chilling and so, so sexy…

"Yeah, boss? Well, waddaya want? Want me to plunge my fingers into your cunt? Play with your clit? Or…" The hands holding her clamp down, and suddenly she's flying through the air and when she stops Vi is sitting on the table and her skirt is gone and her face is _so close…_

"Or do you want me to fucking _devour_ you, Cupcake, plunge my tongue into this sweet pussy of yours and never, ever stop?!" Her warm breath skates over her lips and drives her mad and her head is swimming as the blood drains into it, and damnit, she can't not.

"Oh, fuck you, Vi! Just d-" She gasps as something warm and wet scrapes along her lips, just glancing her clit, and then that exhaled mist of pleasure. One of Vi's hands is still somehow latched onto her breast, still kneading, stretching and twisting.

"Now come on, boss. That wasn't very polite, was it? Ask nicely, yeah?" That voice, so rough and demanding… Her gut twists in shame and embarrassment at her words, but she can't help herself. It's so new so forbidden and _she wants more_.

"P-Please, Vi, lick me more…" Surrender given, Vi gets to work. She's been waiting for weeks to do this, and in the moment, nothing could be more perfect. Her tongue never stops, flicking and lashing and dipping as far as it can go into that tight tunnel. Caitlyn can't believe something could feel this damn good, but it escalates beyond good and into crazy when a thick, raspy digit burrows inside of her. Her passage clenches and she starts panting as it goes faster and faster and then a second joins, stretching her in a deliciously painful way, and then the other rough hand twists her nipple and stretches, elongating her breast into a teardrop, and the sensation overwhelms her as that glorious, sexy mouth seals around her clit and sucks and licks, her body shaking as the orgasm leaves her unable to think. Vi's efforts double, prolonging the drop into nirvana, hungrily drinking as much as she can, face and neck running with pussy juice.

* * *

When Caitlyn comes to, she's lying on her back, on the table. All of her clothes are missing; she doesn't remember them being removed. Vi, like it's a normal day, is also stark nude, drinking a cup of coffee and sitting by her feet. Her eyes are roaming appreciatively, one hand tracing gently circles on her lover's calf. Caitlyn glares at her and sits up, trying to cover herself from that gaze; if only it didn't cause her to melt, she might have succeeded. Her attempts only widen that grin, only deepen that gaze, and from there it's a damning cycle that ends in her slipping off the table, leaving a wet patch behind, and pressing herself against that tall, pink slab of muscle and love. She can taste herself on those lips, and that makes her face blush prettily.

"So, kitchen down. Where next?" Caitlyn tuts and kisses her again.

"Yes, well, for now, let's just stay in here… Besides… I-I want to make you feel good, too." Have Vi's teeth always been that white?

"Mmm, you make me feel plenty good, Cupcake, but - Ah!" A slender finger prods at her entrance and swiftly sinks in without mercy. Vi gasps and shivers and pulls Caitlyn down again as she claims her lips, roughly fisting that long hair. Though she's the one giving the pleasure, Caitlyn still feels like she's being conquered, somehow, but the thought makes her hips shift and her movements faster. After a minute of languorous, back-and-forth kissing, Vi pulls back and lazily grins, staring into her eyes. Caitlyn returns the smile, kicking her hand's speed up and adding another finger. Vi's head lolls back and she groans, but she won't be taken without a fight. Leaning forward, she presses her teeth to that warm, pulsing weak point on Caitlyn's neck and clamps down like a vice. Her victim gasps and her movements falter, but she can feel that fucking grin on her skin even now, and then teeth sink into her and she wonders how it happened so fast. Still on a high from her last crest of ecstasy, it takes little to bury her once again. When Vi's hands slap down on her backside and knead, she can't react, but when one slick finger eases down and starts to tease at her ass she can only gasp and moan before the pressure builds and builds, reaching the point of no return. She tries to pull back from those devouring lips, to protest, but whenever she pulls her head back she can only think that Vi is the one pushing it back.

She can vaguely feel Vi vibrating in the throes of her own passion as the finger ignites her nerves and consumes her mind.

She'd never thought it would feel this good; ribald jokes and smutty novels could not prepare her for the undeniably sheer cliff of lust that towers over her, reducing her to little more than putty in the hands of her tormentor, her only love. They're still sitting in the chair. Vi is cradling her like a child, inhaling her like a drug. Her overwhelming strength is terrifying and comforting, and she can only whimper and breathe little gasps as her body recovers. After a while, Vi's voice, as smug and rough and sexy as ever, breaks her reverie, pulling her from the abyss of ecstasy.

"Liked that, then, yeah? Thought you might. You're a dirty girl, Cupcake…" Caitlyn can feel her smile even if she can't see it, but that's enough. She kisses it away, then stands, legs weak, and glares at her deputy, hands on hips, eyebrows brought together.

"You, Vi, are a bad influence. And a terrible person. And, and you had best do that to me again." She cannot stop Vi's laughter infecting her, or the kiss, or the bubbly tightening of her chest that scares and exhilarates her.

"Vi stands for Vixen, didn't you know?" She saunters off. Her hips, small as they are, sway hypnotically. Those muscled legs, that toned ass, her long, chiselled back that promises such delights… Caitlyn shakes her head but follows anyway, unable to resist.

* * *

It's been a week; Vi has done her best to keep good on her promise. Jinx has been escalating; she's more and more daring, taking more risks; but it was relatively minor. Distracted. They can tell she's winding up to a big finale. When they get to the precinct, there is bad news awaiting them. Jinx has gone on another rampage, destroyed an entire block. Last night was the first instance of her tagging the new Enforcer; but now, there is barely a time where she doesn't, and the variety of derivative nicknames is astounding. The last straw is that now, there is no doubt; Jinx's name is sprouting like a bright pink mould. But Vi knows what it means.

"She's like a junkie. She's becoming desensitized to it, to herself. So she's escalating, seeking more intense thrills, new highs." Her gauntlets creak and hiss as she flexes them. They're on the way to a Chem-Punks' cell. They're the last of the ones that the Wardens had rounded up; a raid on an address that Jinx had alluded to in a not-so-cryptic taunting message. The encryption key of 'Fathands' wasn't a hard one to guess. They were trying to ascertain just _why_ Jinx had that location. Up 'til now, there was no evidence for her cooperation with anyone. Recently, however, her motives had changed; rather than sheer, random chaos for the hell of it, her attacks were becoming more and more focused. They were targeting police barracks, the homes of officers. The members of the great Clans. Jinx normally attacked the most secure areas, or those of the most social impact. The harder it was to crack a nut, the more enjoyment she could derive. The more extreme people's shock and horror, the more hilarious it all was to her. But that modus operandi had taken a nose dive; she was attacking strategic areas, raiding sensitive projects. Up until now, she had left money and other more conventional resources behind, or at the least, used it paint buildings or just leave piles of gold in the streets. The point wasn't the actual money; it was the sheer thrill of proving that she _could_ get it, right under the nose of the Wardens. But recently, it was disappearing; officers would show up and chase her off, give pursuit, and by the time they get back, the money is missing; either she's doubling back or she isn't alone, and Vi dearly hopes it's the former. But it doesn't matter how, or who, or what; they needed to know _why._

Hopefully, this guy will have the answers they need, and if he doesn't talk, they can always do it the fun way.

When they get there, he's sitting in the far corner, squeezing himself small enough that he might believe they can't see him. He appears mostly un-augmented, which is promising; it suggests that he's new, not so loyal, thought it also means his information might be limited. Right now, however, they have nothing; all his colleagues refused to talk, out of fear, respect or both, even when Vi tried to convince them otherwise. The door rattles open slowly as Vi exerts a gentle pressure, savouring the thrum it sent down her spine and the way the man's quivering intensifies. She takes a step in and he makes a sound not unlike a rat, and he breaks out of his shell with the second step.

"O-Oh, god, please, no, don't-" She lunges and grabs him by the collar, pinning him to the wall. "-hit meeEEEeee!" She grins at him as he hangs limp, arms covering his face. She lifts up one gauntlet and moves a hand to the side, revealing one eye firmly closed. She sighs and rolls her eyes and buries her fist into his stomach. He gasps and retches and his eyes almost pop out of his head, but at least they're open. He makes a retching sound and stares up at her.

"Ok, rat. You're gonna answer all of the Sheriff's questions like a good little boy. Right?" She flexes the fingers of her punching hand, the metal whirring spurring him into replying with a little more enthusiasm than necessary.

"O-OK! YES! SURE!" She lets go, leaving him to drop in an entirely unsatisfactory way to the floor. She huffs.

"But listen up now, cos I don't want to have to ruin my gauntlets on _you,_ pipsqueak. I know that sometimes fear can get the better of you, and you start saying things, anything, to stop the pain. So, let me make myself clear… If you tell us a lie, I'mma be back, and this time, I won't be nearly as pretty, understand?" His whimpers are incoherent, but she's willing to bet on the answer. Grinning, she stands up and waves Caitlyn forward. Her face is set in that stony fashion, the one that means she's burying her misgivings, her regrets. It makes Vi regret it, too. She doesn't like to see Caitlyn unhappy, or repressing her feelings. But for now, she sucks it up, for the same reason it occurred in the first place.

They're at work, they need a lead, and by hook or by crook, the ends will justify the means.

Caitlyn is better at the asking questions bit. She's the investigative-y-detective-y one. She pieces the clues together, makes the plans, understands the motives of criminals and how to thwart them. She has, after all, not only been professionally trained, but has a personal motivation to hone these skills - C - and the time available to do so, having been a private eye for years, when Vi was still breaking into vaults and getting drunk. As such, it is she who interrogates the man, and Vi has to admit that watching her work is both very impressive and highly arousing. Seeing her girlfriend in her element, doing what she does best, what she loves to do, makes her heart swell; it's made all the better by knowing that she could never achieve the same results. Whilst Vi isn't too bad at this, the main problem is threefold; her approach, delivery, and follow-through are all the same.

Punch, ask questions while punching, punch while asking questions. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseam; or ad face-broke-eam.

Whilst her simplified means does give Caitlyn an edge when they work together, it is a little more complicated applying this to a crime scene or a shocked witness. She has no doubts Vi would be willing to give it a try, but Caitlyn is a little more hesitant to do so. Either way, happily combining their talents at investigating, like their other talents, creates a synergy that is hard to match. The man gives them what they need; it isn't much, but it's better than nothing. It's a name.

* * *

"Top." They're sitting in Caitlyn's office. Vi has her feet up, fine-tuning her gauntlets. Caitlyn is sorting through documents, looking for information. The name isn't a very common one; there's only one thug that matches it. Vi had been strangely quiet, and subdued. Caitlyn can't think why, but then again, she still doesn't understand a lot of Vi's psyche. They'll have to talk about it later. The dossier is limited, but Vi tells her that she knows of an old haunt, a pub, 'The Sky of the Undercity.' It's a dive bar for foolhardy Pilty's, and frequented by house nobles looking to get their noses wet or their fists bloody, as well as an equal number of sump snipes and Chem-Thugs looking to rake an easy mark. Top will be there. Caitlyn used to ask how she knew all the members of the Zaun crime rings, but the explanations were repetitive, and a little distasteful; it mostly came down to robbery, assault, or sex. Vi's gang had done a lot of things in their time, and that made them a few friends and many more enemies. The Chem-Barons didn't wipe them out, for they were useful, and frankly, it would expend a lot more resources than they would have liked.

One of the main problems is that the Chem-Barons can never quite seem to agree. Them being the only authority, there are no rules or regulations to guide them, or for that matter, keep them in check. It's a Noxian standoff; multiple parties, equally powerful, all looking to expand. None can risk attacking another, for a third will sweep in and conquer them in turn. None can go without a powerful military presence, or risk becoming an easy target. Alliances cannot be trusted, for nothing is more lucrative than betrayal. As such, Vi and her gang rode a thin, grey area between too good for their own health, small enough to be crushed like a bug, and irrelevant enough for their dreams to go unfulfilled. And in that area, they were free to thrive. Vi had no lack of money, or things to spend it on. And since she wasn't one for restraint, or indeed, forethought of most flavours, spend it she did.

Either way, Caitlyn had stopped asking. She's scanning the file for any other relevant information, which reveals only one thing; in the past few years he's been building up a gang, a small one. They're small fry, but punching above their weight. The prisoner told them that he and his mates had been getting orders from Top, but there was no way he was working alone, at least as far as Caitlyn was concerned. He had to have some sort of connection to Jinx, and she would find it. Her eyes flick up at the end of the file, closing it sharply. Vi's boots are resting on the edge of her desk, and her gauntlets have created another half-dozen scratches in the polish as she's fixed them. She wants to reprimand her, but whenever she tries, Vi just grins at her in that way that makes her stomach coil and her face burn. She realizes her face has twisted into a smile, unbidden, at the thought of her Vi. She coughs in a way that she thinks is polite. Vi, however, looks up upon hearing a cute noise.

"Mnuh, Cu'cake? You say somefin'?" She has a tool of some kind in her mouth; Caitlyn doesn't know what it is. She stands, that smile irrepressible. She's just so… Vi. She shakes her head softly, reigns in her thoughts.

"If you're ready, we should go to that bar. We need to get on this trail while it's hot, before Jinx does something else." Just then, a knock comes on the door. She calls out and Jayce, of all people, steps in. Vi looks up and shoots him an undecipherable look. Her gauntlets start to hum. To her, it is a beautiful noise; it ticks and hisses and it isn't perfect, but it's hers, she knows it. Jayce's hammer makes a steady, boring drone that sets her teeth on edge, too ordered and predictable for its own good.

"Jinx has issued a threat." His voice is calm, but clearly angry. Caitlyn sighs, rubbing her temples. Vi's gauntlets whirr and she grits her teeth. Jayce comes over next to her desk and places down a picture. Vi leans over. It's fucking unmistakable. Bloody great neon pink letters form a message… No, a challenge. Last time it was a number of arty constructs, blown to pieces. You could see the explosions from the sump. This time… Well, the Clans were outraged at their civic projects being razed before. But that isn't so bad; irritating, but they can keep going. But this… The Sun Gate. The thoroughfare for all the trade that goes in and out of Piltover, the lifeblood of merchants, adventurers, and those seeking a new life in the City of Progress. She sabotaged it; slammed it closed and nothing could be done to fix it for several hours. In the grand scheme, a relatively small hitch, though still a vast fortune of wasted goods and ruined deals. But not only are the Clans now absolutely seething - and terrified - the pressure is mounting on the Wardens to bring her to justice. The loss of money was staggering, and worse of all, it's the concept.

Just a few Chemtech explosives, just a few hours of halted commerce, and the whole of Piltover wakes up and smells the coffee.

Jinx's challenge is directed at the Wardens. Or, more specifically, Vi, the Enforcer, and it is truly, truly horrific. She's threatened their money. The Ecliptic Vaults, the gilded halls that hold the money of Piltover's elite, the most lauded and secure treasury in the whole world, full to the brim of Hexes, gems, ingots, Hextech jewels, fine paintings. Riches beyond imagining. But even Vi wouldn't have ever dreamt of breaking in there, reckless and stubborn as she was. Jokes were made about the maidenhood of the stingy house heirs being less secure than the Vaults, and some of them were true. The likeness of Vi - a magenta caricature that was just good enough to be infuriating - was daubed next to the precise, maddeningly accurate details of her intent to rob the building.

They had three days to gather as much info as they could, to prepare for the heist. Jayce was going to get busy reinforcing the Vaults, making sure there was no secret ways in. Apparently, he and Ekko had been working together for the last week, which surprised all involved. They had made some headway, down in Zaun, but nothing concrete, nor ultimately useful. Ekko would work on the leads while Jayce made himself busy topside. That left just one thing left to do. Well, two, but the final room of Caitlyn's house - the attic, which she mostly used for storage - could wait until after The Sky of the Undercity.


	6. Vi stands for Victim

AN:

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait; those of you who follow my other stories will know I've been working on them (though I also just took a massive hiatus, frankly) but now, the newest chapter is here! After this I'll be working on All The Time I Have Left for a chapter, then I might put out the first on a new story or go back to A Road Paved With The Best Intentions or The Light That Shines Within. If you want any particular one (or a new one) feel free to PM and try to sway my opinions ;). Also make sure to leave reviews; this was a very agonising chapter for me and I want to know what people think.

* * *

Vi steps out of the alleyway, doing an obvious double glance down the street, and glares promisingly at the single guard outside The Sky of the Undercity. He recognizes her, of course, and points a meaty thumb inside. She leans in close - a single question, a shiny Hex - and then on she went. The doors and indeed the whole building were designed with discreteness in mind. Only the low hum of voices reaches the street; an airlock-like set of inner doors ensures the effect is not spoiled for those outside. Once at the bar, she orders a Demacian Derringer; a small drink that is designed to take several minutes to prepare, entirely mask the taste of alcohol, and yet look precisely like a Noxian Nasty; a hard drink only meant to show how tough you are. The irony is that Vi orders it with several fingers of Voltage.

Top is sitting at a VIP booth; an enclosed but still open area that can hold about a dozen people - and their drinks - and yet still not be too fancy, still approachable. A guard stands at the barrier, vetting potential entrance. It appears as if Top has recruited quite a few people, and drawn some others; small fry looking for a big heist, women who think they can chain the legend and end up getting ridden for a cheap night. Standard operation to Vi, and indeed in some cases, _for_ Vi. One of them - dressed in purple, with tits big enough to demand their own seat - is currently whispering something in Top's ear, stroking his chest. Vi snorts. She's overdoing it a little. Vi's drink arrives and she takes it in one gulp, orders another, and stands up. Someone recognizes her and the whispers spread like a plague; the bar empties terrifyingly fast as those who know her reputation quickly leave, abandoning marks and leaving drinks half-empty.

Of course, this was intended; it would be impossible for Top or one of his companions to notice half the bar leaving in a hurry. As such, Top looks up in time to meet her eyes before she arrives at the booth. Wearing a thick jacket and her 'stealth' gauntlets, she crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow at the bodyguard. The craven henchman backs out of the bar quickly and with no regard for face, casting an apologetic glance at Top, who glares at both. Vi smiles back, ever so sweet. One of the girls jumps up and runs out as well. She goes impressively quickly; Vi spots a good few subtle augmentations on her, and at least one weapon. Interesting.

"Hello again, traitor." He says it in that simple, intimidating way; like they have better things to be doing. Vi snorts.

"Talk to me like that again and I'll show you just how traitorous I can be, Top." She grabs a chair and sits down, then kicks her legs up onto the table, one hand striking out to capture a forgotten cocktail of some sort. It tastes awful.

"What do you want, Vi? Aren't you busy being a Warden or something?" His voice trembles just a little, but otherwise stands up well enough. The girl in the purple dress tightens her grip on his arm, her long black hair tumbling down, and he clears his throat, emboldened. Vi takes her time, stealing another long sip on the cocktail and letting her legs fall back down, so she can lean nice and close, mouth wide in a smug grin.

"Well, yeah, duh. What do you think I'm doing here, next to _your_ sump-snipe ass?" Top flinches at the words, one hand reaching under the table, the other trying to cover by reaching for his mug.

"Don't try anything now, buddy. Lets keep this civil. You're going to answer me a few questions, and then we're going to split, just like the old days. Now..." She grabs the table with both fists and heaves it over her head, in the same motion darting forwards to grab the snipe by his neck.

"What's your connection to Jinx!?" Those gathered scramble; only a dozen patrons stay, too drunk to care about- or too awed to realize - the danger. The ambitious one in the purple dress stays just a few feet away, still clutching a drink.

"I don't know what you mean! Who the hell is Jinx?" Vi tightens her grip, growling, and slams him against a post.

"You know who the hell Jinx is. Everyone does by now. She led us to a place with one of your goons in it, and now _you're_ going to tell me why she knew them, and what you have to do with them!" Top glared, but kept his mouth shut. Strange. He'd always been a smooth talker. Never one to keep his mouth shut, even when shit was flying into it. Oh well. She knocked his head against the post with a hollow thunk, then grabbed a fist as it flew wildly at her face.

"Oooh, you're gonna regret that one later... Now, I understand your reservations here, Top. You're probably working for some powerful, secret organisation that's planning a coup or something. Speak a word and I won't have to kill you, they will. I get it. But do you remember all those mooks we picked up back in the day? Hey, remember Pinky?" Top's face grows pale, and he shrinks back. Vi's fist squeezes his slightly, the creaking of bones agonisingly loud.

"Looks like you do, don't you... We killed his family, you remember that bit? Three kids, one husband. Their blood is still there, you know. It stains the floor." She raps his temple with her knuckle and wipes a tear from her eye. The woman in the purple dress is crying too, staring at Vi. "Nothing will heal that. Pinky told us what he wanted, and left glad in the knowledge his employers would wipe him clean. But that blood... It's still on you, Top. Still on us. So..."

She lets him down; he falls to his knees. The bartender comes with her drink, and she takes a loud sip.

"You either tell me what I need to know about Jinx, and clear your conscience, or I'll have to add more deaths to mi-"

The knife takes her in the kidney; it hurts enough that she can't even gasp, just swing blindly - her fist crunching satisfyingly into a jaw - and fall down and scramble and slip in spilt drinks. The bartender lunges again, but the woman in the purple dress shoots him twice in the back and he falls. Top pins him down, and after a brief struggle, buries the knife in his neck. Vi gasps and clutches her stomach and winces because fuck it hurts. She puts pressure on the wound, wraps it best as she can, but she can already feel some sort of poison clutching at her. When she opens her eyes again, the woman in the purple dress is kneeling over her, Top standing aside. The woman is saying something, but Vi can't hear it. The world tilts as Top picks her up, grunting under her weight, and begins a steady jog. The wound is numb now, and the ice is spreading slowly up her torso.

They travel for a long, long time. Her perception is off but that crippling lack of sensation is getting closer and closer to her heart, and she doesn't have to hazard a guess on what'll happen then. They stop and the woman in the purple dress falls to her side. She grabs a hand in her own, and Vi's surprised to feel it, as her body is slowly getting more and more numb. Her mind is quite clear, however, allowing her to run over dozens of different scenarios. In most of them, she dies. In some of them, she lives. But in all of them...

"I-I love you... Cupcake..." And, summoning a last vestige of strength in her stubborn body, she presses a kiss to Caitlyn's lips and slumps, feeling that dark ice get closer and closer. Something wet is dripping against her face, drop by drop.

Something green happens. It slips into her field of view and presses a sticky hand to her side, bringing with it warmth. It spreads through her body and banishes the cold and when it reaches her heart she gasps and sits up so fast she pushes Caitlyn over. The thing - whatever it is - slips away silently, vanishing down a drain without any preamble.

"Tell me I didn't just hallucinate a massive green blob saving my life." Top slowly shakes his head, staring down a vent cover. Caitlyn is kneeling besides her. Her hands are covered in blood. Tears are falling down her face. She's beautiful. Vi cries and grabs her and cries and couldn't give a fuck about anything else right now.

Down in his pipes, Zac smiles and hums a little song, sliding further and further away.

* * *

Vi sits on the edge of the table in Caitlyn's kitchen, legs gloomily still. Her hands clutch a mug of cold coffee. Her trousers are stained with blood and tears, most of which are her own. Her hair is flat, plastered to her face, and her gauntlets lay discarded to the side of the doorway. Her tears haven't stopped since they arrived, though she doesn't know why.

"Vi?" Caitlyn stands in the shadow of the entrance, just a hint of hair and the edge of her short skirt visible. She hasn't changed since the bar, but she has washed herself of Vi's blood. She comes and sits next to her, puts the mug somewhere out of mind, and pulls Vi's arms around her, wrapping her up in a hug. They sit there for a long time, Vi just listening to her breath, her heartbeat against hers, sobbing silently.

"I almost died, Cupcake." When she breaks the silence, she isn't paying attention. It slips out and then she can't put it back in. She isn't sure if she wants to. She can still feel the knife lodged in her side, that dreadful cold...

"I know." Caitlyn doesn't elaborate, entirely unable to do so. What does she say? How can she help?

"I don't know why it bothers me so much. I've almost died a hundred times. But... You were there, and, I didn't..." She trails off, and Caitlyn hugs her tighter, kisses her lightly, encourages her. "I didn't want to leave you behind. I-I couldn't _abandon_ you like that, Cupcake... Isn't that fucking soppy? Progress, what have I become..." She gives a short, harsh bark of laughter, then her crying redoubles. Caitlyn sits up a bit and looks her in the eyes.

"It isn't soppy, Vi... It's... You _almost died_. You're supposed to be torn up about it... And... It makes me glad to know that you didn't want to die when I was still here for you. If it makes you feel better, I would've been pretty sad if you had..." She says it with a smile, trying to get Vi to laugh, for real. It works a little; she sniffles and snorts, for a second that wide, cheeky grin returning. She slips back into her pain, but her crying stops.

"You knew Top already. He knew your name, and he called you... Traitor." She says the words gently, to try and weaken the blow. Vi sighs and sits up, both hands still stubbornly clutching Caitlyn's own.

"He was in my gang. Well, technically, I was in his gang, but that doesn't matter. The mine is the last run I did at his side. The last run I did at all, I suppose. Then I left. Became my own one-woman wrecking crew." Caitlyn knows what mine she's talking about. It's when they met, though neither thought much of it at the time. Of course, this is when Caitlyn had started Vi's surveillance, thinking she might be connected to the clue that led her to the mine in the first place.

"Vi... Why did you join me, when I offered you this new life?" Her hands clutch harder, desperate to try and guide Vi through this. She just wants to help. She speaks again. "Is it... Pinky?" Of course, Pinky is just a small facet of a large, polished gem of immoral acts, all in the name of some cause or other. Blood on her hands, as always. Caitlyn isn't dumb; she knows that Pinky can't be the end of Vi's regrets. But for now... He'll do. Vi shifts, and her voice is raspy.

"Yes. And others. All the things I've done... I figured that there had to be some reason behind it, you know? That there was a justification I just couldn't see. I didn't want to see, because then I'd know there wasn't. But when I saw those miners, trapped, desperate... I just couldn't let them die. It wouldn't be right. I had to do something. And from then, I tried to atone. To fix my mistakes. But... It won't ever be enough, will it?" She barks a sad little laugh.

"I know I can't make the pain better, Vi. No matter what you do, what good you bring – there's no karma. No being watching us and judging our worth. There... There's no way to get past this but to let it fade. But... I... What you said to me, before..." She tails off, suddenly so embarrassed, so unsure, she knows what she wants to say, but she can't...

"I... Lov-" Vi kisses her so suddenly, so fiercely, her hands so strong as they press her against that steel chest. Her breath escapes, her heart pounding, but still she doubts those final words. Vi smirks, the effect only made sweeter by her puffy eyes and tear-stained clothes. Her lips taste salty, but they're warm, and they're Vi's.

"I love you, Cupcake. You don't have to say it yet, if you don't want to. But I know what I feel. I know who I want..." She stands up, taking Caitlyn with her, and pulls her close, tight to her chest. "You." They kiss, hard, and Caitlyn has to do it.

"I-I do love you, Vi. I was just scared... Scared to feel again, after C. They took the only people I loved and I almost wasn't good enough to get them back. If he took you..." She trails off and Vi pecks her again.

"Well he's welcome to fucking try, right boss? He's not a match for _us_ , eh?" She flexes and Caitlyn laughs, face soft. A smile and a blush creeps onto her face, and she coughs cutely to buy time. Vi waits.

"Say, we still have to, um, conquer the attic, right?" She has the strength to look Vi in the eye, who grins widely.

"Well, it's not the attic being conquered, but yeah, right vibe." Vi stretches, then stands up.

"Say, Cupcake, do you have any rope? I have something I think you'll like."

* * *

Caitlyn wasn't too sure how she'd ended up like this; bound, hand and feet, to the rafters, shivering in the cold, as Vi stalked around her.

Both still had their clothes on, though Caitlyn didn't think that would last too long. Of course, Vi had taken the time to, extensively, explain what she was going to do to her, so that she could look forward to – or object to, which she did not – what came. She was already wet, she could feel it, her stomach coiling, every heavy step increasing her anticipation. Reflexively she would tug at her bonds, just waiting, trying to track the pinkette, and failing. Finally, she steps close, one hand reaching out to grasp her chin; a deep kiss, bruising, and then she was released, dazed.

"There's so much I'm going to do to you, chief... I can hardly wait..." Caitlyn shivered, trying to clench her thighs but unable to do so. A hard slap landed against her ass, only slightly muffled by the clothing. She cries out and another kiss sweeps her up, leaving her panting and breathless. Immediately, a hand squeezes a jiggling breast and retreats and she slumps, unable to keep up. Slowly, hands snake around her waist, holding her close - as close as the ropes will allow - as Vi kisses at her neck, tender and warm.

"Anything, right, boss? _Mine_ , right, boss?" She says it into Caitlyn's ear, breath hot in the chill of the attic, so deep. She wants to reply, but her mind is distracted and unable to react cohesively. Vi's hands shoot up and grab her breasts, squeezing roughly, the bodice a poor defence. "I expect an answer, boss!" Caitlyn rallies herself and, struggling pitifully against the bonds, squeaks out her only thought.

"Yours!" A growl fills her ears, a pink-haired predator having found its prey, her tits bouncing as her bodice is roughly yanked down. Her now exposed breasts are not spared, her nipples twisted and pinched, her mind slipping further and further away, and then a kiss to steal her soul and she is lost to the pleasure, writhing in the grasp of her lover. She recovers as Vi's mouth brushes over her neck, her ears, nipping and licking and sucking.

"That was easy, Cupcake. Didn't even have to touch your wet cunt here at all, you little _slut_ , eh?" A hand travels up her thigh, slow, rasping, teasing, and then slides along the sodden cotton of her panties. All she can do is gasp as a laugh echoes around her, cannot react as the clothing is pulled down just far enough for those fingers to trace their way around her opening, but one calloused digit plunging into her core. Tears build in her eyes, for she is overwhelmed by the love and lust drowning her. Vi slows down, pulls back her efforts, letting her soak in all she is subject to. When her victim takes a deep, relaxed breath, she pounces.

A finger squirms at her ass, a moment of futile resistance before it plunges inside of her. She arches her legs and tries to escape the burning pleasure, but Vi drives with her, and then she's matching the finger's thrusts and gasping as the pinkette sinks to her knees. Immediately she sets to devouring her ravenously as her finger kicks up in speed, a second, slick with her own juices, joins it, and Caitlyn lasts a bare minute before she slumps against the ropes again, twitching helplessly, mind blank.

Vi stands before her, licking her fingers greedily, her face and neck covered in a sheen of sweat and juices.

Caitlyn smiles weakly, still not fully recovered, and when the ropes are suddenly so slack, she slumps into Vi's arms.

* * *

"We were told that Jinx was going to strike that area. She has no interest in the money, but my boss did. They'd set us up for life - but frankly, they were paying us almost as much as there was in there." Top waves his hands in a pattern entirely useless in describing his mental image. "All we had to do was clean up anyone inside, grab everything from the deposit boxes, and ghost it to the Sump. We left it all in a pre-disclosed location, came back after five minutes, and it was gone, replaced with our payment. We couldn't even get half the boxes open so we just took them whole; they were gone too." He takes a deep breath, brushes his mouth, and ruffles his hair a little. "The most exotic thing we found was a Chem-powered 'bedroom aid,' so to speak."

Top takes a sip of the tea Caitlyn has prepared, and sighs appreciatively. A scribe sits unobtrusively in the corner, writing down every word and gesture, the wordstamp clicking loudly. Caitlyn sits prim, legs pressed properly together, and thinks hard. Probably. She looks very thoughtful, anyway. Vi continues asking questions, grilling Top, trying to divine some sort of ulterior motive. He seems clean, but then again, she did get stabbed. 'They' must have known she was going to show up. But she hadn't told him she was going to, obviously, as that would have left room for him to do exactly this. She sighs; she's not very good at this whole 'investigating' thing. She looks over at Caitlyn, who is completely zoned out. One hand plays with the hem of her dress, which Vi recognizes as an idle movement. Vi gets up to go get a box of donuts, and immediately Top turns to Caitlyn.

Caitlyn isn't, despite Vi's faith, thinking about the case. She's thinking of last night, and despite the distractions of the attic, of her words. She hadn't really confronted her feelings before; she has come to this revelation previously, but this time it really hit her. She had to go visit her parents. And, as much as she dreaded any of Vi's interactions with people she knew, she would be taking Vi with her. She owed it to both her parents and her love to introduce them. Maybe she'd send a letter ahead... Probably a good idea. She considered her parent's reaction; several months with no correspondence, no reply to their own messages, and then suddenly she shows up on the arm of Vi. A shock, to say the least. Probably a little more than that. Vi was indeed quite a woman. She smiles, just a little, involuntarily.

"So, what's up with you and Vi, huh?" Caitlyn snaps up, eyes glazed over for a moment.

"What?" She crosses her legs and picks up a cup of tea. She doesn't drink; just holds it. The steam wafts over her face.

"You. And. Vi. Tell me all about it. Way back when, Vi was never one for actual romance. But you... She's _really_ into you, get me?" He leans forward and crosses his arms, making suggestive faces with an eyebrow raised. She suppresses a blush and rolls her eyes. She takes a dainty sip, mostly inhaling steam, to buy time. It hits the saucer with a clink.

"It's a simple story. Either way, Mr. Top, it's you who's answering, and me who's asking. Tell me -" Top winces.

"Jeez. Don't call me 'Mister.' You don't call Vi miss, do you?" A moment passes and he raises an eyebrow with a smirk. "Or do you, eh?" He snickers and she frowns, just as Vi comes back, one donut already falling victim to her appetite.

"Hey Cupcake, you want a donut? God, I love these things. DI's wife knows what she's doing!" The pastry vanishes and Vi grabs another one. Caitlyn shakes her head absently, glaring at Top to keep his mouth shut. Top winks obviously, then answers a few more questions. Vi ends up eating the whole box, but leaves one anyway, for when Cupcake changes her mind. Top cooperates well, but won't give the locations of his gang mates, or their names. Vi knows that most of her old gang retired after her leave, but that Shin and Rane – the most loyal, the most bound to this life of crime – stayed by his side. Vi also knew that most of his reluctance to give up his fellows was to prove a point to her. She didn't mind – she knew what was right.

Jinx's grand entrance was tomorrow, and they still had no concrete information. But now they had a new lead to follow; Top's employer. As always – it could never be easy, unfortunately – they were secretive, eccentric, and massively paranoid. However, they were clearly a not-so-experienced Piltovian; the drop point was in Zaun, where it was far easier to drop off and pick up the stolen goods, but there was a single mistake in the operation. The area was entirely owned and run by Saito Takeda, a ruthless and violent Chem-Baron. There was absolutely no way that Top could have gotten such a motherload through his territory without being set-upon... Unless his employer had made a deal with them. It was plausible that the way the loot vanished so quickly was that Saito simply had his goons grab it; it made more sense than an unknown power's men having snuck all that way, picked it up in so little time – which would require a large, easily detected force – and then getting out. Considering that Saito did not have the best relationship with Piltover, not to mention that all his trusted underlings are incredibly obvious, it also makes sense that the delivery of these goods – or whatever it is that the original hirer wanted – took place in Zaun.

At least, this is what Caitlyn told Vi later, who definitely had to agree that it all sounded very plausible.

Of course, Vi was indeed Caitlyn's main source of information regarding Takeda; it was she who suggested that a delivery topside would be impossible. So, they had several people to find: Takeda, his courier, the employer, or the receiver. They had information on only one of those... So, to Takeda it was. This was not undertaken lightly – if they had more time to find the others, they would, but with such a short window until Jinx's heist, it came down to this.

* * *

They weren't stupid. They knew that walking - willingly - into the literal devil's den was not a good idea. They would have liked to take a Warden Armed Response unit in with them, but that was impossible thanks to politics. As the name, W.A.R, suggests, these Wardens are more soldier than peacekeeper. They are outfitted with the latest and greatest gear, privately, by individual Clans. These men doubled - or tripled - as house guards, Vigilnauts, personal security, and ostentatious shows of power when needed. They were primarily a high-threat response team started when there was an argument between some Demacian and Noxian ships in the port, which led to dozens of wrecks. And they were just merchants.

The Clans quickly started drafting mercenaries, loyal adventurers and retired warriors from other nations. They formed their own teams, each with their own names, gear, and agendas, but this soon became a machine with too much friction; all it did is cough smoke and spit sparks. The Warden-Prefect at the time, the predecessor to Nicodemus, had quickly formed the idea; put these teams under the jurisdiction and responsibility of the Wardens. It removes the possibility of civil war, puts the city at ease and decreases the threat to the Clans - thus removing the need for these units - and above all, means that when there's an 'accidental impromptu training display' it falls on the Wardens, not the sheepish Clans responsible.

Unfortunately, since they're recruited by, paid by, and equipped by the Clans, their ultimate loyalty lies with them.

As such, when the City of Progress grinds to a deadened halt, they suddenly call in sick, use up vacation days, or straight up just refuse summons. But Vi and Caitlyn still have backup; the faithful Mohan. He's a little bit on the plump side, and his hair is a little grey behind the ears, but the three have a solid past together. He's wearing a few pieces of heavier gear a little too small and a little too old to be a good idea, but its still better than the dated - but trusty - revolver that's standard among the more traditional officers. A thick, intimidating, mouthful-of-a-name Holloran's Gracious Treaty, a progressively six-barrelled shotgun envied and feared across Zaun. It was designed in a time where the leader of Clan Holloran was undergoing a secret war, and losing; the opposing Clan offered a deal, and Holloran's response was three dozen men armed with their so-called Treaty. It is still in use by many factions; reliable, deadly, respected and feared.

Vi drives; she knows the streets, the potholes, not to mention the areas where scrappers are a little too eager. Saito Takeda operates out of a well-known, easily accessible, and massively fortified theatre known as the Bone and Blade Coliseum. Most of the time, the building was host to travelling actors, mummers, minstrels, circuses... Any manner of wild entertainment available. Yet, once a month, the standard fair was replaced with a bloodthirsty, no-holds-barred spectacle of violence. Scores of fighters, a grand melee, a ranked tournament, ludicrous prize pools. Caitlyn did not like the sound of it, especially since it was being held today, and that Vi was not sharing her plan of action.

Vi's plan revolved around _winning_ , of course, and that's all there was to it. Foolproof.


End file.
